Battery recycling is a process that allows you to send some of the components of the battery for recycling, and neutralize the hazardous compounds included in their composition. As you can see, in addition to making a serious contribution to the fight for a cleaner planet, when returning used batteries to a collection point, additional savings are also achieved due to the fact that they are reused most of battery ingredients.

Currently, the use of different-sized miniature batteries is quite common. Approximately 565 million batteries were sold in Russia in 2013. Can you imagine how big this is? That is why the issue of recycling batteries in Moscow and other populated areas of our country is relevant. Agree that with proper disposal of batteries, energy-saving paws and other products containing toxic to humans and harmful to nature chemical compounds, we can not only save own health, but also to pass on our clean land to our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Benefits of recycling

1. Caring for the environment. Recycling batteries means neutralizing the dangerous compounds in them.
2. Receiving a profit. Recycling Most of the elements that make up a mini-battery allow you to generate income.

What are the dangers of used batteries for the environment?

1. Soil pollution.
2. Groundwater contamination.
3. Hit toxic substances into the air.

How to properly store batteries before recycling

Used batteries should be stored in plastic bag or a hermetically sealed container with thick walls. This way you will protect yourself from leakage of an alkaline or acidic solution. Do not put them in a cardboard or metal box. In the first case, proper tightness is not ensured, and the second method, when discharged elements leak, can cause chemical reaction with highlighting hazardous substances. To return used batteries to a collection point, it is advisable to accumulate a large batch.

Types and composition of batteries

Before you find out where to take batteries in Moscow for recycling, you should familiarize yourself with the types of batteries:

1. Alkaline (alkaline). They contain manganese, iron, zinc and graphite.
2. Nickel-cadmium. Nickel, iron and cadmium are extracted for recycling.
3. Lithium. Contains iron, nickel and lithium.
4. Salt (carbon-zinc, manganese-zinc). Coal, iron, zinc, and manganese are used as secondary raw materials.

Indeed, receiving used batteries is a kind of “Klondike” in terms of the content of metals and rare elements.

Processing technology

1. Delivery. After the battery collection point in Moscow or another locality accumulates a sufficient volume of waste for delivery, it is transported to the processing site.
2. Splitting up. The batteries are ground to a powder state.
3. Sorting:
   • Iron elements are separated using a special magnetic tape;
   • Manganese and zinc (in the form of salts), as well as graphite, nickel, lithium, and cadmium are extracted from the resulting polymetallic mixture in several stages of leaching.

On average, production lines allow processing up to 2 tons of batteries per day. In terms of time, processing one batch of batteries takes on average about 4 days. For recycling, a production line is used, similar to a conveyor for recycling microcircuits.

Accepting batteries in Moscow is a fairly profitable business. Iron, manganese, zinc and graphite make up about 80% of the recycled volume of this recyclable material.

Scheme for moving used batteries from the Media Markt network

Reuse of raw materials

Metals and other metals obtained as a result of recycling rare elements can be used for the manufacture of various products, consumer goods and the same batteries. There are no restrictions when making from recycled materials. And the benefits both environmentally and economically are undeniable!

Receiving 1,000 kg of batteries allows you to obtain after recycling:

• manganese – 288 kg;
• zinc – 240 kg;
• graphite – 47 kg.

For comparison, standard batteries contain:

• manganese – 28.8%;
• zinc – 24.0%.

This is more than the richest ore deposits. Accordingly, as a result of accepting batteries, you can make good money by recycling them.

The most problematic point in the entire technology of recycling used batteries is their collection. All other stages have already been tested in practice and are at a high technological level. Unfortunately, many people, as well as local housing and communal services managers, do not understand the seriousness of the problem. If appropriate campaigning of the population is carried out and collection points for batteries for recycling are opened at least in Moscow, then things will get better! Most likely, you yourself are already observing how in many Russian cities, at gathering places household waste special containers have appeared for returning and storing used batteries.

November 12, 2012 at 18:00

Proper disposal batteries

• Energy and batteries

Hello friends!

Each of us has probably used batteries in our lives. Remote controls, watches, toys, phones, a lot of other things - there is always something in the house that runs on batteries. And they tend to develop their resource. However, does everyone know what to do with used batteries? Throw it in the trash with the rest of your household trash? It is not right!

On the battery case there is almost always a symbol in the form of a crossed out trash container, indicating that it should not be thrown away with other household waste.

But what is so harmful or dangerous about batteries?

Although a battery can explode, leak and damage your equipment, or be swallowed by your child, it will do most of its harm if it is not disposed of properly.
In general, batteries are chemical devices whose elements react, producing electricity, which we use. These elements are mainly toxic and dangerous.

• lead (accumulates in the body, affecting the kidneys, nervous system, bone tissue)
• cadmium (harmful to lungs and kidneys)
• mercury (affects the brain and nervous system)
• nickel and zinc (may cause dermatitis)
• alkalis (burn mucous membranes and skin) and others

Once thrown away, the metal coating of the battery is destroyed by corrosion, and heavy metals enter the soil and groundwater, from where it is already close to rivers, lakes and other bodies of water used for drinking water supply. Mercury is one of the most dangerous and toxic metals; it tends to accumulate in the tissues of living organisms and can enter the human body either directly from water or by eating products made from poisoned plants or animals.
What if the battery gets burned out? incineration plant, then all the toxic materials it contains will be released into the atmosphere.

According to statistics, a Moscow family annually throws away up to 500 grams of used batteries. In total, 2-3 thousand tons of batteries are being collected in the capital. In the United States, Americans buy nearly three billion different batteries every year, and about 180,000 tons of these batteries end up in landfills across the country.

It is difficult to imagine how much harm is being caused to the environment on a global scale.

What to do with used batteries?

It is not recommended to store at home, as hazardous substances are released into the air. According to the rules, they must be disposed of at special enterprises. Although the pleasure is not cheap, developed countries The process of collecting used batteries from the population and subsequent proper disposal is well established. So, in many European Union countries, Canada and the USA, battery collection points are everywhere. In New York, for example, it is illegal to throw batteries in the trash. And the producers and large stores Those who sell batteries are required to ensure that used batteries are collected, otherwise a fine of up to $5,000 may follow.
In Japan, they say, batteries are collected and stored until an optimal recycling technology is invented.

What do we have?

Here everything is quite sad: if you are determined not to harm nature, then you will have to carefully search for a collection point even in the capital - let alone other cities. There are only three factories in Europe that have battery recycling capacity, and one of them is located in Ukraine - the Lviv state-owned enterprise Argentum. However, due to bad organization collection of batteries from the population, the plant cannot function - the enterprise is designed to process a ton of batteries per day, but in six months it was not possible to collect even half a ton.

In the absence of government control, collection points still exist - they are often organized by volunteers (for which they thanks a lot), but are gradually catching up various organizations And retail chains.

When searching for “battery recycling,” Google returns quite a large number of mentions. I decided to systematize the information and plan to update the list periodically.

In order not to overload the article, I posted it on GoogleDocs - “List of collection points for used batteries”(information on Ukraine, Russia and Belarus).

If you have been wondering “where to take old batteries,” I hope this list will help you. Because it's not just batteries that contain hazardous materials, some locations may accept your old one. household appliances, computers, fluorescent lamps, etc.

P.S.: It is believed that one AA battery pollutes about 20 sq.m. with heavy metals. soil. In the forest zone, this is the habitat of two trees, two moles, one hedgehog and several thousand earthworms.

Be responsible, habrauser. Don't thoughtlessly throw away your battery - save the hedgehog!

Recycling of accumulators and batteries- This is a problem that now faces all countries of the world. The main purpose of battery recycling is to prevent hazardous substances from entering the environment. Lead-acid and nickel-cadmium batteries are especially dangerous. You should not store old lead-acid batteries at home, especially where children play. Even just touching lead poles can be dangerous. About, how to properly store various battery types, can be read in. Also, a table with characteristics is given in the article.

Of the total global production of batteries and accumulators, only 3% is recycled, while some countries recycle more, while others do not recycle at all. In the US, about 60% of batteries are recycled (20-40% lithium-ion and 97% lead-acid), most European countries 25-45% is recycled, in Australia - about 80%. IN developing countries There is practically no recycling and batteries are thrown away with household waste.

Why is battery recycling necessary?

Despite the fact that lead-acid batteries are environmentally unfriendly, they make up a significant share of the market. Nickel-cadmium batteries also continue to hold a leading position among batteries. Europe has banned the sale of consumer products containing nickel-cadmium batteries because they can be replaced by nickel-metal hydride batteries. If they are included in consumer goods, managing their disposal is very difficult, since many users simply do not know what is inside the devices.

Until toxic batteries have adequate alternatives on the market, we will have to accept their use. When used and disposed of correctly, they do not cause harm. However, improper operation and ending up in landfills of nickel-cadmium batteries long term can cause enormous environmental damage. When it ends up in a landfill, the metal cylinder from the element begins to corrode over time, and the cadmium gradually dissolves, seeping into the water supply. In humans, soluble cadmium compounds affect the central nervous system, liver and kidneys, and disrupt phosphorus-calcium metabolism. Chronic cadmium poisoning leads to bone destruction and anemia. Research by scientists has already detected traces of cadmium in the oceans (along with aspirin, penicillin and antidepressants), but its origin is not yet certain.

Nickel-metal hydride batteries contain nickel and an electrolyte, which are considered semi-toxic substances. In the absence of waste battery collection points, which we have very rare, single nickel-metal hydride batteries can be disposed of with other household waste. However, it is still better to recycle such batteries.

Primary (i.e. disposable) lithium batteries contain lithium metal, which reacts violently when exposed to moisture, so batteries must be disposed of correctly. If a battery ends up in a landfill in a charged state, its casing may be damaged by heavy objects dumped on top, and this can lead to electrolyte leakage and a fire. Fires in landfills are difficult to extinguish, causing fires to rise into the air. great amount harmful substances. So before recycling, lithium batteries are first completely discharged. Disposable lithium batteries are used in military equipment, watches, hearing aids, etc. Lithium-ion batteries for cell phones and laptops do not contain lithium metal.

In Russia, the problem of battery disposal is very acute, primarily due to the environmental illiteracy of the population, as well as the lack of an established recycling and disposal scheme.

Table 1 shows the cost of materials contained in a ton of lithium-ion batteries. The table also includes the cost of lead-acid batteries, as they are the most profitable from a recycling point of view.

Table 1 – Cost of material per ton of batteries. Lead-acid batteries remain the most suitable for recycling; 70% they contain secondary lead

Recycling process for batteries

If the company is engaged in processing various types batteries, recycling begins with sorting the batteries depending on their composition and charge level. Sorting is a rather labor-intensive process. According to recycling companies, the recycling process will then profitable business, when there is a constant flow of sorted batteries.

The recycling process usually begins with the removal of flammable materials such as plastics and insulation using a gas thermal oxidation unit. The scrubber removes particles produced during the combustion process before releasing them into the atmosphere. After this, cleaned metal elements remain. The elements are then cut into small pieces and heated until they melt. Non-metallic substances are burned, after which black slag remains on top, which is removed. The liquid alloys are distributed by weight and separated from each other in the same way as cream is skimmed from milk.

Cadmium is relative light metal, which evaporates at high temperatures. In the refining process, which uses a fryer-like setup with water boiling on top, a fan blows cadmium vapor into a large pipe where it is cooled by a water mist, then the vapor is condensed to produce 99.95% cadmium.

Some refining plants do not separate the metals themselves, but instead pour the resulting liquid alloys into molds and send them to plants that produce nickel, chromium and iron for stainless steel and other high-tech products.

At the Toxco plant in North America Liquid nitrogen is used to crush, crush and extract lithium and other components from lithium batteries. To make lithium non-reactive, it is dissolved in a special solution. The solution is then sold to make grease. Cobalt is separated and sold in the same way.

Battery recycling is a highly energy-intensive process, requiring 6 to 10 times more energy to extract metals than is required to produce the materials through other means, including mining. A natural question arises: “Who then pays for battery recycling?”

To create conditions processing enterprises Each country sets its own rules and fees. In North America, for example, some businesses charge by weight of recycled material, with rates varying depending on chemical composition batteries

When batteries are produced in the European Union, their cost initially takes into account disposal costs. A customer in a store receives a discount on new batteries by returning old batteries.

Nickel-metal hydride batteries are the most cost-effective because recycling produces enough nickel to make the process worthwhile. The highest recycling fees are imposed on nickel-cadmium and lithium-ion batteries because demand for cadmium is low and lithium-ion contains little recoverable metal.

Until recently, there were enterprises in Russia that were only engaged in the collection and storage of batteries. Recycling is expensive and virtually unprofitable. But in October of this year, the first battery recycling line was launched at the Chelyabinsk recycling plant. The company's technology allows 80% of alkaline batteries to be recycled using the hydrometallurgical method.

Thus, now collected alkaline batteries will be disposed of in Chelyabinsk. Intermediaries between the consumer and the plant should be public organizations and large retail chains. We can only hope that the waste battery collection system will be well established and the number of batteries thrown into landfill will be reduced.

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The number of cars and other devices powered by batteries is constantly increasing. The urgency of the problem of recycling used batteries and batteries is also growing. After all, such batteries contain substances hazardous to human health and life.

The rechargeable battery must have the ability, with a compact size and low weight, to briefly - within 5-10 s - supply a current of 200-800 A to start the car engine and supply constant electric current to the car's consumers when the engine is not running. Lead-acid batteries meet these requirements. The battery plate grids are made of an alloy of lead and antimony, and the electrolyte is a solution of sulfuric acid. Lead is a toxic poisonous metal, it leads to poisoning of the human body and severe pollution environment.

The service life of batteries is affected by storage conditions and quality repairs. With intensive use and compliance with maintenance rules, the battery service life is up to 120-150 thousand kilometers, or 2-5 years. If the rules of operation, maintenance and repair are not followed, the batteries fail much earlier, no more than 30-40 thousand kilometers.

Why recycling is needed

• The car fleet is growing every year, and the need for batteries is growing;
• lead is scarce due to limited deposits of this toxic metal;
• protection requirements have become more stringent surrounding nature from emissions and toxic hazardous waste;
• lead and its compounds belong to substances of hazard class 1, the strongest poisons, which even in small quantities cause chronic diseases with fatal outcomes;
• In terms of the amount of non-ferrous metals produced, lead ranks fourth in the world, after aluminum, copper and zinc. The amount of its waste is also growing;
• According to the current legislation of Russia, Ukraine and other countries, dispose of batteries in tanks household waste, garbage chutes and landfills are prohibited;

• Not only lead is dangerous, but also the battery electrolyte, which is a solution of caustic and dangerous acids;
• recycling batteries will protect nature from dangerous toxic contamination. The scale of harm from massive batteries can be truly enormous;
• the total costs of remelting lead from recycled materials are much less than when producing them from scarce ore raw materials;
• The battery industry is one of the largest consumers of lead. Lead is returned as scrap metal from the disposal and recycling of used batteries. Lead recycling is recognized throughout the world as not only reasonable, but also economically and environmentally necessary and justified.

Where to donate your car battery

Special companies dispose of batteries, they collect them and send them for recycling. Rechargeable batteries are processed by factories that have necessary equipment, according to the accepted international level technologies. Many battery factories have their own lead recycling facilities or partner facilities. In developed countries, collection and recycling of batteries is a separate industry.

In order to properly dispose of an unusable battery, it must be recycled at collection points for recycled lead materials. Under no circumstances should you dispose of batteries yourself or store them in random places; this is prohibited.

At collection points, used batteries are placed on pallets or in containers with lids and transported to the recycling site in closed trailers or cars. This procedure and safety measures prevent the release of lead or acid into the environment.

Previously, in the USSR, distributors drained the electrolyte themselves, and the acid ended up in the environment. There is no need to drain the electrolyte now; this will be done by specialists at the factory.

Battery recycling technology involves several stages:

• electrolyte drain;
• cutting and crushing battery cases;
• melting batteries in furnaces - reflective or water jackets;
• division of the smelting product into 3 layers - molten rough lead, matte and slag;
• at the end of the rough lead is refined.

The resulting metal is used for casting grids and other battery parts.

To protect yourself from lead poisoning:

• handle batteries only with rubber gloves, use a respirator to protect your respiratory system;
• wash your hands with hot water and soap, shower, do not eat where the battery is stored.

The presence of lead in the air is recognized by a sweetish taste in the mouth. Signs of lead poisoning are first nausea, dizziness, anemia, then a “lead border” on the gums, weakness, loss of appetite, convulsions, and kidney disease. If there are signs of poisoning, call a doctor, rinse your stomach before he arrives and drink as much as possible large quantity water with soda.

Bottom line

Recycled lead production from waste batteries is increasing. A system for collecting, transporting and recycling recycled lead materials will ensure harmless battery production and reliable environmental protection of nature. Remember that it is better not to store old and unnecessary batteries at home, but to dispose of them with the help of specialists.

Every person has at least a dozen batteries in their home - they are in watches, flashlights, and children's toys. Lithium-ion batteries are located inside mobile phones, video cameras and laptops. As we know, the service life of any type of battery is limited (for lithium-ion it does not exceed 4-5 years), and it must be recycled.

Why recycle batteries

It is dangerous to use a battery beyond its service life, since due to internal changes it becomes susceptible to leakage, short circuit, etc. In addition, an expired battery does not hold a charge well.

Against the background of these reasons, a pressing question arises: how to get rid of the old battery?

The simplest thing is to throw it in the trash. Stop if you have already carried the unnecessary battery towards the trash bin!

Our country is still far from developed countries in terms of well-thought-out waste disposal policies. There are very few waste sorting centers and recycling plants in Russia. While a European throws paper into one bin and glass containers into another, a Russian will throw both types of waste into one bin, because we do not have different bins.

Why you shouldn't throw batteries in the trash

Thus, old batteries go straight from the trash can to a landfill, where they rust, burn and release into the environment a whole range of toxic substances and heavy metals (cadmium, manganese, nickel, mercury, lead, zinc). Water washes them out of the soil and carries them into groundwater, rivers, lakes, artesian wells, as well as to vegetable gardens and farms. This is how we get poisoned vegetables on store shelves. Regular consumption of such products will sooner or later have a detrimental effect on the body.

1 AA battery thrown into the trash can pollutes about 20 m² of land and 400 liters of water!

But proper disposal can bring great benefits to the country and the environment. In 4 days they are sorted and processed, obtaining raw materials for recycling. They are mainly used in ferrous metallurgy, mechanical engineering, pharmaceuticals and cosmetology, and the chemical industry.

Where to donate batteries

So what is the correct and safe way to dispose of batteries?

Previously, some activists and environmentalists stored all used batteries at home, waiting for the day when proper recycling would become available. And now, finally, such an opportunity has appeared, although for now only in large cities, where you can find points for collecting unnecessary batteries. As a rule, they are located on the streets, in large shopping centers and supermarkets. All you need to do is throw the batteries into the box, then the recycling service will take care of everything.

Don't expect to be paid for returning your batteries - the recycling process is quite expensive and the service will incur shipping costs. So, by throwing the battery in the box, and not in the trash, you will thereby show your selfless social consciousness.

From the boxes, the batteries will be sent to the only plant in Russia that processes them. It is located in Chelyabinsk and is called “Megapolisresurs”. With the help of electrolysis and other technologies, more than half a million batteries from all over the country are neutralized and recycled there every year!

So if you live in big city and you are not indifferent to environmental problems, find out about the availability of points for collecting old batteries and do not be lazy to use their services. To do this, the “Map of battery collection points” will help you.

Map of battery collection points in Russia

Battery recycling plant

Do you recycle batteries?