Battery recycling and Christmas time

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While electrical goods retailers are required to take back used gadgets for recycling, what happens to one of the most toxic elements of the electrical gadget in Ireland – the battery? Xillions of battery powered gadgets are bought at Christmas time every year. I have never seen a battery recycling box in shops that sell batteries in Ireland.

I live in a waste to energy recycling-land – but strict measures are taken to ensure that batteries don’t end up in the general waste incineration process. In the reception area of every apartment building there are battery recycling containers. They are also in shops, staring one in the face as one enters.

Retailers in Ireland seem to be very reticent to give prominence to rechargeable batteries – presumably because they know that they will cannibalise disposable battery sales (and people will save money) – and there is no regulatory pressure on them to do otherwise. Meanwhile all this battery gunk ends up in the water table in Ireland. Yuk.

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BendiBus

I've seen battery recyling boxes in a number of retailers in Dublin. The only one that immediately springs to mind is Dixons. But I have seen them elsewhere. I agree they should be everywhere that sells batteries.

All recycling centres take them too.

ian_m

It would be great if retailers provided recycling facilities for batteries. But I think most people buy their batteries at the supermarket, and I don't see them ever providing a battery recycling service.

http://www.raceagainstwaste.ie/take_action/at_home/recycle/

Local councils will take old batteries to recycle. I hope everyone can make an effort to use them.

probe

But why doesn't the "WEEEEEEEEE directive" apply to batteries in terms of retailer obligation to offer recycling takeback? Batteries are electrical goods. Toxic electrical goods.

Or is battery recycling in Ireland so locked up in bureaucracy and kept under the counter that few people know about their rights and obligations (if any) under the Eco-Participation regulations, as far as batteries are concerned? Not to mention the damage to the environment they are causing by not using rechargeable batteries in appliances.

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Archeron

As mentioned above, my local recycling centre takes them. I build them up over the course of a year in a box, and bring them all down to the centre together. Green nerd that I am, I even bring them home from work to make sure that they are recycled instead of just binned.

ian_m

Praise to the green nerds

probe

But why aren't the shops who sell batteries required to take the old ones back? Buy a new TV, and they have to take back the old one.

It would be a simple matter to install a collection device for them near the entrance. Batteries are far simpler to bring back to a shop than an old TV - where it is probably easier to drive to a recycling centre.

Why does everything have to be so difficult in Ireland? eg using bus services, using rail, using airports, etc. etc. The concept of good customer service is not really understood in many quarters :-(

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