Introduction
This evolving series is focused on exploring how our Nations and Corporations around the globe resolve the expanding crisis of excessive Battery Landfill, which is harming our planet. We humans need to change the way we think around the globe and make a persistent commitment to recycle all battery types.
With the invention of Solar Panels and Electric Cars, battery use is rapidly expanding in our societies around the world. We need to deal with it. We are currently too reliant on people doing the right thing to drive their vehicle to a location to unload their old worn-out batteries. Not everyone has a car, and not everyone can carry the weight of batteries that need disposal for recycle process. And sadly, not everyone is committed to do the right thing by supporting and using recycle process.
Allan Ivarsson 21st September 2022
Save our Planet… All Batteries must be Recycled.
Alkaline Batteries Recycling
Australia
There are many other brands out in the marketplace as well.
ABC News posted the below brief report, on the 15th of September 2022, subject title, ‘Nyrstar plans to recycle 88 million household batteries a year and keep them out of landfill.’ (i)
“Eighty-eight million – up to 2,000 tonnes – of single-use household [alkaline] batteries from across the country will be recycled each year at Port Pirie’s smelter site.” (i)
Port Pirie’s smelter operator Nyrstar has become the country’s first B-cycle accredited recycler to recover commodity-grade quality metals from alkaline batteries for international markets, after the company received accreditation from the Battery Stewardship Council.” (i)
“Commercial grade zinc and copper will be extracted from single-use alkaline batteries sent to the site from across Australia, which will return to international commodity markets.” (i)
“On average, Australians use about 8,000 tonnes of alkaline batteries a year, with a significant proportion of those batteries ending up in landfill.” (i)
A.I. comments… This constant landfill process is a serious concern not only in Australia and USA but also around the world in every country. We urgently must change our thinking and behaviour to save our planet.
“South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas made the announcement at Nyrstar’s site yesterday, saying those batteries would now be recycled from Port Pirie.” (i)
“They had previously been sent to landfill.” (i)
Mr. Malinauskas said, “This is South Australia, not just being part of the circular economy, but leading it. Which is everything we want to be doing as a state.” He said, “it was important for the state be “part of industries of the future and recalibrating industry to make sure that the decarbonization process is something that happens here in South Australia for our economic benefit and the benefit of the environment globally.” (i)
“Nyrstar’s Vice President Dale Webb said the recycling would take place inside existing infrastructure at the company’s multi-metals processing facility.” (i)
“He said the facility would have the capacity to expand and treat up to 8,000 tonnes of batteries in the future.” (i)
A.I. comments… Currently processing 2,000 tonnes each year and has the capacity to process 8,000 tonnes per year, is a good start to keep alkaline batteries out of landfill.
Australians around the Nation need to be informed about what is happening and what is available to help them send their dead batteries to a recycle process.
Mr. Webb said, “while the copper from the batteries would be produced at the Port Pirie site, the zinc would be sent to Nyrstar’s base in Hobart [Tasmania] to be processed into green zinc.” (i)
“The rest of the material goes to our black sand, which will then become a product in the future green cement project in Port Augusta,’ [South Australia near Port Pirie] he said. (i)
Mr. Webb said, “he looked forward to further exploring more recycling opportunities at the site in the future.” (i)
A.I. comments… This is a good start for recycling Alkaline batteries in Australia. But we Australians are duty bound to do more work to stop any battery of any type, from becoming landfill.
Bunnings Recycle Service Support for Australian Nation
More Recycle Locations for Old Batteries in Australia
(iii) https://www.recyclingnearyou.com.au/batteries?
Recycling Locations Participating Stores in Australia
Aldi, Battery World, Bunnings, Officeworks, Woolworths.
B-Cycle
A.I. comments… The following slides were copied by me, following critical path information. It is recommended by me when you can… connect to this Internet Program and explore all the links.
Click Here to Explore or below on Link (iv)
(iv) https://bcycle.com.au/about/?
Recommended read…
Alkaline battery
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An alkaline battery (IEC code: L) is a type of primary battery that derives its energy from the reaction between zinc metal and manganese dioxide.
Compared with zinc–carbon batteries of the Leclanché cell or zinc chloride types, alkaline batteries have a higher energy density and longer shelf life, yet provide the same voltage.
The alkaline battery gets its name because it has an alkaline electrolyte of potassium hydroxide (KOH) instead of the acidic ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) or zinc chloride (ZnCl2) electrolyte of the zinc–carbon batteries. Other battery systems also use alkaline electrolytes, but they use different active materials for the electrodes.
Alkaline batteries account for 80% of manufactured batteries in the US and over 10 billion individual units produced worldwide. In Japan, alkaline batteries account for 46% of all primary battery sales. In Switzerland, alkaline batteries account for 68%, in the UK 60% and in the EU 47% of all battery sales including secondary types. Alkaline batteries contain zinc (Zn) and manganese dioxide (MnO2) (Health codes 1), which is a cumulative neurotoxin and can be toxic in higher concentrations. However, compared to other battery types, the toxicity of alkaline batteries is moderate.
Alkaline batteries are used in many household items such as MP3 players, CD players, digital cameras, toys, flashlights, and radios.
Disposal
With the reduction in mercury in 1996, alkaline batteries are allowed to be disposed of as regular domestic waste in some locations. However, older alkaline batteries with mercury, and the remaining other heavy metals and corrosive chemicals in all batteries (new and old), still present problems for disposal—especially in landfills. There is also the issue of simplifying the disposal of batteries to exclude them all so that the most toxic will be diverted from general waste streams.
Disposal varies by jurisdiction. For example, the state of California considers all batteries as hazardous waste when discarded, and has banned the disposal of batteries with other domestic waste. In Europe, battery disposal is controlled by the WEEE Directive and Battery Directive regulations, and as such alkaline batteries must not be thrown in with domestic waste. In the EU, most stores that sell batteries are required by law to accept old batteries for recycling.
Recycling
The use of disposable batteries increases by 5–6% every year. In the past, used batteries ended up at landfill sites, but in 2004, disposal of alkaline batteries at landfill sites was forbidden by an EU regulation. EU member countries are committed to recycling 50% of alkaline batteries by 2016. The need for recycling thus amounts 125,000 tons per year. The share of alkaline batteries is approximately 80% of the whole.
In the US, only one state, California, requires all alkaline batteries to be recycled. Vermont also has a statewide alkaline battery collection program. In other US states, individuals can purchase battery recycling kits used to ship batteries to recyclers. Some stores such as IKEA also collect alkaline batteries for recycling. However, some chain stores which advertise battery recycling (such as Best Buy) only accept rechargeable batteries and will generally not accept alkaline batteries.
For recycling, the metals from crushed alkaline batteries are mechanically separated, and the waste black mass is treated chemically to separate zinc, manganese dioxide and potassium hydroxide.
(v) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaline_battery
There is a lot more essential recycling process to be explored in Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA and Canada and Europe.
Struggle to stop Landfill of Batteries, Solar Panels and Wind Turbines to be continued…
Allan Ivarsson PhD P.I. 2022 (now 73 years of age.)
Founder, director, chairman of ‘things to come’ called ‘Cosmicism’. The way of ‘Blue Light Cosmic Philosophy’, the way of ‘Cosmic Libertarianism’ which uses the most advanced intelligence in the Universe called ‘Philosophical Intelligence’.
