Batteries - The Facts

1] There are approx 20,000 tons of primary and secondary batteries landfilled in the UK every year

2] The energy used to manufacture primary and secondary battery cells [rechargeable and household batteries] is 50 times greater than the electrical energy they produce when been discharged.

3] It is estimated that there are 35 million households in the UK that use these batteries with a spend of approx £105 each per year.

4] The battery market in the UK is worth on average £250 million per year.

5] In the year 1999 to 2000 the UK purchased 654 million batteries for use in portable powered products.

6] The average household uses approx 20-30 batteries per year and is increasing.

7] It is estimated that 22,000 ton of batteries was sold in 2002 containing approx 4,000 ton of re-usable zinc.

8] It is estimated that 77% of the population own at least one mobile phone which represents about 45 million people which are replaced every 18 months for a new upgraded version.

9] In the UK there are approx 45 million mobile phones in use which would stretch
2,250 kilometeres which is more than 10 times around the M25 ! by 2004.

10] Within 3 years [2004] there will be enough mobile phones been discarded in the UK to cover the length of the Great Wall of China!!

11] It is a well known fact that 50 to 70% of discarded nickel based batteries can be re-used if “regular” deep discharge is done from new.

12] The single largest source of mercury is found in household batteries especially in alkaline and button cells.

13] The majority of primary and secondary cells contain metals that are potentially toxic to the environment such as nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride and mercury.

14] Under new Legislation from the EU Parliament [WEEE Directive 2003] manufacturers of alkaline batteries have already made the commitment to eventually remove mercury from batteries. However, mercury is an integral part of button batteries and cannot be eliminated completely. The parts per million have been reduced to 0.001, a more acceptable level.

15] Nickel cadmium is the worst toxic waste of the three chemistries. One mobile phone or power tool battery is enough to pollute 600,000 litres of water which would be enough to fill one third of an Olympic swimming pool.

16] Platinum, gold, silver and copper are precious metals used in mobile phones which are all recovered during the recycling process and re-used as an available resource.

17] Careless disposal of the nickel cadmium batteries is very hazardous to the environment. When cadmium is disposed of in landfill, the toxic waste will eventually dissolve itself and the substances finding its way into the water supply, thus causing serious health problems. Already, our oceans are beginning to show traces of cadmium including aspirin, penicillin and antidepressants but the source of the contamination is unknown to date. [Batteries in a Portable World 2001]

18] Although Nickel metal Hydride batteries are considered environmentally friendly the main derivative is nickel, which is been considered as semi-toxic. Ni-MH also contains an electrolyte that in large amounts is hazardous to the environment.

19] It is well known within the industry that it takes six to ten times the amount of energy to reclaim metals from recycled batteries than it would through other means.

20] In the year 2000, the total battery energy consumed globally by laptops and mobile phones alone was estimated to be 2,500Mega Watts. This equals 25,000 cars powered by a 100kw engine [134hp] driving at motorway speed.

21] The new Landfill Directive [July 2003] prohibits primary and secondary cells from going to landfill because they are potentially hazardous to the environment.