Plans revealed for phone battery recycling plant in UK

West Midlands company G&P; Batteries is hoping to build a commercial-scale plant to reprocess lithium-ion batteries early next year.

” This will give us another string to our bow and reduce the reason not to recycle. “
– Michael Green, G&P; Batteries
G&P; has signed a contract with French firm Recupyl SA to provide the technology for the plant, which would have a capacity to process about 150 tonnes of batteries each year. This would represent about a third of the current UK usage, G&P; believes.

Michael Green, managing director of G&P; Batteries, told letsrecycle.com that the plant will probably be built at the company's parent group HJ Enthoven in Matlock, Derbyshire.

Mr Green explained: “HJ Enthoven has the engineering expertise to install the new technology and we don't really have the space at West Bromwich to build a second facility at this point in time.”

G&P; currently recycles alkaline and zinc (household) batteries at its plant at Darlaston in the West Midlands, collecting batteries via over 100 local authorities.

Lithium
Lithium ion batteries have become more popular in recent years and are used in products that need rechargeable batteries, including computers and mobile phones. It is envisaged that up to 40 million mobile phones will be using lithium ion batteries within the next five years, G&P; Batteries said.

Recupyl SA runs a pilot lithium-ion plant in Grenoble, and representatives will be visiting the UK in January to assess the possible site for G&P;'s new plant.

Mr Green said he is hopeful that it will be installed and ready to begin taking in batteries by the middle of next year at the latest.

G&P; already take in some lithium ion batteries through its mixed battery services, and initial input for the new plant will come through these collections. G&P; Batteries will then discussing possible new collection services with possible customers including local authorities and mobile phone companies, Mr Green said.

The managing director believes that this will help G&P; increase their battery yields across the board. He said: “It is not easy to collect batteries, without the battery legislation it is difficult to get people collecting them. Hopefully this will give us another string to our bow and reduce the reason not to recycle.”