Where are used batteries recycled?

Batteries are one of the most commonly used commodities in our daily life. Cameras, tape recorders, pagers, palmtop computers, etc. are all batteries. China is a big producer and consumer of batteries. In 1999, the output reached 15 billion, ranking first in the world, and the consumption was 7 billion. On average, each Chinese consumes 5 batteries a year. Disposing of batteries at random will not only pollute the environment, endanger human health, but also waste resources. Calculating the annual production of 10 billion batteries, it will consume 156,000 tons of zinc, 226,000 tons of manganese dioxide, 2,080 tons of copper, 27,000 tons of zinc chloride, and 79,000 tons of ammonium chloride. , 43,000 tons of carbon rods. Therefore, it is imperative to recycle waste batteries for the benefit of the country and the people.

With the improvement of people’s awareness of environmental protection, the harm of used batteries has attracted the attention of all sectors of the society. More and more people began to consciously collect used batteries. In August 2000 “Beijing Youth Daily” reported that Tian Guirong of Xinxiang, Henan Province, spent 20,000 individuals. Diversified, collecting waste batteries up to 30 tons. In April 2002, the “Yangtze Evening News” reported that Ding Fengzhu, a 68-year-old retired teacher from Xuzhou City, spent three years collecting thousands of large and small batteries.

At the same time, environmental protection organizations across the country have also launched waste battery recycling activities and called on people to collect used batteries to reduce environmental pollution. In December 2001, Beijing’s 100 colleges and universities jointly launched a large-scale recycling of used batteries “into the campus and defending their homes”. Students from various colleges and universities were actively involved in organizing the collection of used batteries and received good results.

Government agencies have also played a role in this campaign. In 2000, the Beijing Municipal Environmental Sanitation Bureau and McDonald's, Rogers, Polaris Pictures, Good Neighbors, Ao Shikai, Xinjiekou Department Stores and more than 50 fast food restaurants and more than 40 homes. The chain stores collaborated on the collection of used batteries. Some collection boxes on the battery counters of the shopping malls and the classified bins of the Environment and Sanitation Bureau form a large network of “search and catch” small batteries.

However, in the boom of recycling used batteries, cool people found that the used batteries were still not recycled. Can not help but ask, where is it difficult to recycle used batteries?

Difficult to recycle used batteries?

Although the recycling of used batteries has received support from people, during the interview process, the reporter found that the recycling status of the batteries is not optimistic. The old batteries recovered only account for a small part of the batteries sold. Lu Jianguo, head of the Beijing Useful Waste Recycling Center, said that from 1998 to now, only about 350 tons of used batteries have been recovered in Beijing. The annual consumption of batteries in Beijing is about 220 million, or more than 6,000 tons. The low recovery rate directly limits the expansion of processing scale and the improvement of processing technologies, which in turn seriously hinders the industrialization of waste battery recycling.

The reasons for this are different. According to industry analysts, the main reasons are as follows: First, the government departments did not really play a role in this work. In the “law on the prevention and control of stationary wastes”, there are no detailed rules for battery recycling. There are no rewards or penalties for recycling, and the relevant functional departments cannot provide targeted guidance to production companies, recycling departments, and individuals. Secondly, the recycling network for used batteries is basically “woven” by organizations and individuals. However, due to the lack of awareness among residents of the harmful effects of used batteries, there has been no general awareness of conscious collection and conscious submission. Therefore, it is still difficult for waste batteries to enter the “big network”. Although there are individuals who are engaged in collecting work, personal capabilities are limited and cannot be scaled. After several years of hard work, the quantity collected is just a drop in the sales volume. Thirdly, battery manufacturers, as manufacturers, provide hundreds of millions of batteries every year to the whole society. However, the production companies that are truly conscious and involved in this recycling process are indeed far-fetched. “The problem of recycling cannot be solved,” said Wang Weiping, a senior engineer and expert in environmental protection at the Beijing Municipal Commission. He pointed out that the key to resolving the issue of recycling is to raise awareness of environmental protection for all people. First of all, it is necessary to increase propaganda, so that more and more people establish the concept of waste batteries must be recycled, and thus consciously participate in recycling activities. Secondly, the state should give certain support in terms of policies and regulations, scientific and technological innovation, and capital investment, formulate relevant policies and regulations, and stipulate that used dry batteries must be recycled, and that used dry batteries should not be thrown into domestic garbage at will; they should actively participate in the recycling of used dry batteries. The scientific research units and enterprises that use them must give preferential policies and funds to ensure that the capital of investors is value-added and the promotion of unit products is prioritized. Thirdly, it creates various convenient conditions for the recycling of waste batteries, such as setting up waste battery recycling bins in public places, accelerating the classification and recycling of waste, and setting up waste bins for recycling batteries in residential areas; when selling batteries, mortgages are used. The gold system, or the trade-in system, ensures the recovery of used dry batteries. As long as the full power of society is fully mobilized, the recycling of used batteries is not difficult to solve.

Difficult to waste battery processing technology?

The recycling of used batteries is the first step in recycling, and reprocessing is the key to recycling. The used batteries that have been recovered so far are still lying in warehouses and homeless. Some people think that there is no proper treatment technology for recycling the neck.

Relevant experts told the reporter that the technology for disposing of used batteries is not a problem. Developed countries already have ready-made technologies and they can use them over time. It is understood that Magdeburg, Germany has developed a "wet treatment" technology, eliminating the need for sorting. At the same time, valuable raw materials will not be discarded and will not pollute the environment. The annual processing capacity of this device is up to 7,500 tons. Alte company developed a vacuum heat treatment method, the processing cost of a ton of waste batteries is less than 1500 marks. There are two factories in Switzerland that specialize in processing old batteries. The processing technology can also be used by me.

Wang Weiping introduced that some domestic research institutes and enterprises have also developed related technologies. The Donghua Xinxin Waste Battery Regeneration Plant in Hebei Province, which uses the waste battery processing technology of Beijing University of Science and Technology, is under construction. The Beijing Municipal Development Planning Commission has also approved the use of European technology and equipment to establish waste dry cell processing plants.

Henan Xinxiang Battery Factory already has scientific and technical personnel designed a complete set of technologies and production equipment for the recycling of used batteries. The "China Township Enterprise News" reported that after two years of research, the Anshan City of Liaoning province successfully produced a waste battery recycling resource regeneration and harmless treatment process, which has been demonstrated by relevant experts and relevant departments.

Experts pointed out that good technology has already existed, and it is not processing technology that plagues the recycling of used batteries!

Where is the key to solving?

Neither recycling nor technology, then what's the problem? How to solve?

Mr. Wang Zixin, the person in charge of the Beijing Donghua Xinxin Garbage Collection Center, told reporters that the crux of the matter is the lack of industrialization of used battery disposal. In foreign countries, about 50% of waste batteries must be recycled to create new social values. "Disposal of waste batteries can actually form industries."

Why not form industrialization? There are many opinions. However, a professional who is engaged in the recycling of waste batteries told reporters that the recycling of used batteries currently appears to have no economic benefits and is unlikely to be profitable. People from the Xinxiang Battery Plant in Henan Province categorically stated that the scientific and technical personnel had designed a complete set of technical solutions for the recycling and recycling of used batteries. However, from the market situation, the input-output efficiency is almost equal to zero, so recycling has always been on paper. "status.

Profit is a matter of course for businesses. The long journey of waste batteries is blocked here. Who will handle the waste battery? "The disposal of used batteries must be run on the track of the industrial economy, and it is bound to require policy support." Wang Weiping told reporters. It is understood that in developed countries, because waste battery recycling is an environmental protection industry, it is a good thing to benefit the country and the people. The government will give subsidies. In Switzerland and Japan, the government will subsidize waste battery processing companies for each ton of spent batteries. Combined RMB 5,000.

A TV reporter who came to Europe to interview with environmental issues had thought of a “public toilet” approach, in which each battery manufacturer co-invested in a processing plant, and the factory solved the problem of garbage uniformly. She said that in Europe, the packaging of goods is handled in this way, and there is a very complete set of mechanisms. Some foreign countries have adopted the method of collecting environmental taxes on battery manufacturers to support the recycling of waste batteries and achieved good results. In fact, according to the principle of “who is polluting and who govern” in China, it is necessary for the battery manufacturers to properly levy the environmental treatment tax.

Insightful people pointed out that the road to the recycling of used batteries has come to the present day. People’s enthusiasm alone is far from enough. The promotion of this cause in China needs a more calm mind. People's eyes should be more to invest in the development of new technologies, the introduction of new and effective policies to support waste battery processing companies, and promote the recycling of used batteries to form industrialization, and only in this way can the used batteries find their own home.