Chelyabinsk entrepreneur Vladimir Matsyuk was one of the first in Russia to begin recycling batteries, which are collected for him by Media Markt and IKEA. The business is still tiny, but very promising
Chelyabinsk entrepreneur Vladimir Matsyuk (Photo: Ekaterina Kuzmina / RBC)
Waste fishery
Matsyuk, who grew up in Soviet Kazakhstan, personal experience knew how to use resources carefully. “There were often supply problems there,” the entrepreneur recalls in an interview with RBC. “That’s why my mother made candied fruits from the skins of the oranges she ate, and from the seeds of sea buckthorn, if you insisted on them.” sunflower oil, the result was a disinfecting oil. For me then it was the natural course of things.”
In the late 1990s, Matsyuk graduated from the Faculty of Economics of the South Ural state university(Chelyabinsk) and began to combine teaching and work in commercial structures. In 2004, he decided to take the summer internship of students in the course “organization theory” seriously, inviting them to create a company for real. The students themselves came up with the name of the company - “Megapolisresurs”, and then began to decide what it would do. Matsyuk already had experience in solving “environmental” issues for Chelyabinsk companies, so it was decided to focus on an understandable topic (waste paper recycling). But the practice quickly ended, and Matsyuk felt a taste for business. “I decided, let there be waste, but with precious metal, we need to extract the valuable contents from it and lower the hazard class,” he recalls.
Matsyuk I decided to start collecting fixer - a solution that is used to fix images on film or paper. Depending on the type of shooting (black and white, color, x-ray) when fixing up to 70% of silver contained in photographic paper (from 5 to 40 g per 1 sq. m ), goes into solution, from which silver can be quite easily extracted. “The main thing was to correctly determine the purchase price of the used solution, so that it would make sense for laboratories to store it and sell it to us,” recalls Matsyuk . According to the entrepreneur, a liter of fixer is purchased at a price of 40 to 70 rubles: “Using electrolysis, you can extract up to 4 G silver." At current silver prices (about 27 rubles per gram) per liter of fixer “ Megapolisresurs "can earn about 110 rubles. To start this business (mainly to purchase equipment) Matsyuk spent $20 thousand. I became profitable within eight months. Profit was 25-30% of revenue. Silver obtained in the form of granules " Megapolisresurs » sells to jewelers (clients include Velikiy Ustyug "Northern Chern" plant).
Photo: Ekaterina Kuzmina / RBC
In 2008, the business of extracting silver from photographic solutions was added to the business of extracting it from films. “At first they thought that silver could be washed off from films using harsh chemicals, but these are people manual labor, high degree danger, but I want to sleep peacefully,” Matsyuk recalls. - Found biological solution— special bacteria transform the film into gelatin, from which silver is then extracted. The whole procedure is close to the dangers of cheese production.”
In 2009, Megapolisresurs began recycling microcircuits and electronics (medical and office equipment), in which, in addition to silver, there is gold and other rare metals. Requirements for recycling various equipment were introduced in 2002 federal law"About protection environment", and for violating them, companies faced a fine of 100 thousand to 250 thousand rubles. or suspension of activities for up to six months. “The first clients were consulates and foreign companies: they were terribly afraid of our laws, according to which we cannot just throw away computers,” recalls Matsyuk. Now “Megapolisresurs” actively serves government agencies on this topic - in the last two years alone, according to the government procurement website, Matsyuk’s company has won more than 40 competitions for the disposal of various equipment for total amount about 2.5 million rubles.
Batteries are also waste
The idea to recycle batteries was given to Matsyuk “from the audience.” In 2013, when an entrepreneur spoke at a conference, he was asked why he recycles circuit boards but does not recycle batteries. “I replied that we can have batteries, but no one collects them in sufficient quantities,” says Matsyuk. After the conference, one of the public organizations St. Petersburg, which collected 2 tons of used batteries. For Megapolisresurs this was the first experience of working with batteries.
How batteries are recycled
To recycle batteries, Megapolisresurs uses a production line on which microcircuits are recycled. First of all, the batteries are crushed and the iron elements are separated using a special magnetic tape. Manganese and zinc (in the form of salts), as well as graphite, are extracted from the resulting polymetallic mixture in several stages of leaching. In total, the four extractable cells account for 80% of the battery mass. The production lines of Megapolisresurs allow the processing of up to 2 tons of batteries per day. Battery recycling takes about four days.
In 2013, the Media Markt network decided to launch a battery collection project, which chose Megapolisresurs as a processing partner (the companies had already collaborated on photographic solutions). For a retail chain this is social project(in Germany, over half of the batteries sold are recycled). At the start of the project, it turned out that batteries were not included in the Russian waste classification; Media Markt and Megapolisresurs spent almost six months correcting this deficiency and other organizational measures. “The total weight of batteries sent for recycling in 2014 was about 18 tons,” a Media Markt representative told RBC. “This is more than double what we planned when we launched the project (7 tons).” Matsyuk’s company also donates its batteries to IKEA (three points in Moscow, about 6.5 tons collected), the VkusVill store chain (56 points in Moscow, 1.4 tons), as well as retail chains in several regions (several dozen points).
Garbage resource
565 million batteries was sold in Russia in 2013
30 tons of batteries reworked Megapolisresurs in 2014
2 tons of batteries Megapolisresurs can process per hour
70 rub. — cost of recycling 1 kg of batteries
1.5 million rubles. the company earned money from recycling batteries in 2014
100 million rub. — total revenue of Megapolisresurs
Sources: company data, Greenpeace Russia, RBC calculations
For "Megapolisresurs" » battery recycling - small, but promising business. Unlike fixer, films and computers for batteries Matsyuk Not only does he not pay, but he also receives money - from the companies that collect it. “We pay 70 rubles for recycling 1 kg of batteries,” the director of public relations told RBC. VkusVill" Evgeniy Shchepin . “At the same time, we have to deliver the batteries to the warehouse ourselves.” Megapolisresource " in Moscow. They do not provide transportation services yet.” Manager eco-project Media Markt Alena Yuzefovich in November 2014 told online publication Recycle that the “starting price tag” Megapolisresource “For transportation and recycling of a kilogram of batteries - about 110 rubles.” The company does not make money from partners, but charges them only the cost of delivery and recycling of batteries: “70 rubles. - This average cost recycling 1 kg of batteries,” states Matsyuk . According to him, income from recycling batteries in 2014 amounted to 1.5 million rubles.
Most of this amount was contributed by battery collectors; Matsyuk is not yet very good at selling recycling products. From 1 ton of batteries you can get 288 kg of manganese, 240 kg of zinc, and about 47 kg of graphite. “The content of manganese (28.8%) and zinc (24%) in batteries is higher than in the richest ores (up to 26%), notes Matsyuk. “If we look at batteries as raw materials and not as waste, we see a unique deposit that contains a lot of valuable raw materials.” But this is theoretical. In practice, only the iron from the batteries can be sold: it goes to the Mechel plant in Chelyabinsk. Sales of non-ferrous metal salts are still difficult: “The volumes are small and of little interest to wholesale buyers, and selling retail for laboratories is too labor-intensive.”
According to RBC calculations, if Megapolisresource sold chemically pure metal, then 1.4 tons of graphite, 8.6 tons of manganese and 7.2 tons of zinc extracted from 30 tons of batteries could bring the company about $50 thousand (about 1.9 million rubles at the average ruble exchange rate in 2014; based on market prices for metals). But in order to obtain manganese and zinc in the form of metal, an additional investment of $1.5 million is needed, says Matsyuk.
The crisis has failed
The main sources of income for Megapolisresurs are still the recycling of office equipment and photo waste. In 2014, these areas, according to the entrepreneur, brought the company a total of 100 million rubles. (in approximately equal shares). In 2013, according to Kontur.Focus, the company’s revenue amounted to 49 million rubles, and net profit - 7.7 million rubles.
Matsyuk expects recycling volumes to increase. “In December 2014, amendments were adopted to the law “On Production and Consumption Waste”, which oblige the manufacturer to pay either a recycling fee for its products or undertake obligations for its partial return collection,” says Matsyuk. “But while there are no relevant by-laws, it is unclear how this will all work.”
In the case of batteries, if at least 10% of what is sold is recycled (in 2014, according to Matsyuk, 8 thousand tons were sold), this will allow Megapolisresurs to earn over 100 million rubles annually.
In 2015, Matsyuk plans to earn 220 million rubles. for the disposal of office equipment and approximately 100 million rubles. — on the extraction of silver from films and solutions. How realistic are these plans? Last year, Megapolisresurs ended with a loss (Matsyuk did not disclose its size) due to a 20% drop in silver prices in the second half of the year (from $20 to $16 per troy ounce). As a result, the companies Megapolisresurs and Fractal (also owned by Matsyuk) did not fulfill previously concluded contracts for processing scrap containing precious metals (for example, with the Research Institute semiconductor devices- by 3.8 million rubles), and for the supply of silver (to the Severnaya Chern plant - by 427 thousand rubles, to the Jewelry Dragmetal company - by 3.6 million rubles). This, as follows from the file of arbitration cases in the Pravo.ru system, forced the company’s partners to go to court. “We took out loans and purchased equipment based on silver prices of $30-35 per troy ounce, and were forced to sell metal at prices almost half as low,” notes Matsyuk. In January 2015, he registered a new company, Megapolisresurs, in Kurgan.
Moscow competitors
In Moscow, in addition to Megapolisresurs, several other companies accept batteries for recycling: Ecoprof LLC - 580 rubles each. for 1 kg, Megapolis-Group LLC - 100 rubles. for 1 kg. Their employees could not say by phone whether these companies have their own battery processing capabilities.
It is difficult to describe the importance of batteries in our lives. They are everywhere. Almost all devices that make our life easier and more practical are equipped with batteries. This is a source of energy that we use every day, and when the time comes, we simply replace it old battery to a new one. Few people wonder where millions of exhausted batteries go.
Throwing a battery into a general trash bin means harming not only yourself and others, but also several subsequent generations!
A battery is a chemical device, the elements of which, when interacting with each other, enter into a reaction, as a result of which we receive electricity. Each of the constituent elements is toxic and dangerous to one degree or another. The battery contains:
- lead (has the ability to accumulate in the body and affect the kidneys, nervous system, bone tissue);
- cadmium (carcinogenic, can provoke the development of cancer);
- mercury (can accumulate in the body, penetrates with poisoned water or food, affects the kidneys, liver, lungs, nervous system, organs of vision and hearing, brain, musculoskeletal system);
- nickel and zinc (cause dermatitis);
- alkalis (cause chemical burns to mucous membranes and skin).
Almost all batteries have a symbol in the form of a crossed out trash container. This sign indicates that it is prohibited to throw the battery in the trash!
Corrosion quickly destroys the metal coating of the battery, and all of the above metals and acids enter the soil and groundwater, and after some time, into the human body. We are talking not only about AA batteries, but also batteries for smartphones, tablets and laptops. One AA battery, which most of us are used to throwing in the trash, can contaminate 15 to 20 m² of soil.
Burning batteries is also prohibited, since the same dangerous chemical substances during combustion they enter the atmosphere.
What to do with a used battery?
A used battery should not be stored at home. Hazardous substances will be released into the air and may cause irreparable harm to your health.
Try to find a waste battery collection point closest to your home. Battery collection containers are often found in large supermarkets, service centers, salons mobile operators and stores specializing in the sale household appliances and electronics.
In order not to constantly run to collection points, you can, together with your neighbors, collect batteries in a closed container somewhere in the entrance or house and periodically return them.
To use AA batteries less, use rechargeable batteries. They can be charged and used for a long time. This way, you will reduce the amount of toxic waste while saving money.
How are batteries disposed of in different countries today?
Disposing of batteries is a rather labor-intensive and expensive process.
In Japan, batteries are not yet recycled because they believe that they have not yet figured out the optimal disposal method. The batteries are collected, sorted and sent to so-called storage facilities.
China has a similar system. The batteries are collected and buried in huge polyethylene-lined pits. There they will be stored until a profitable disposal method is found.
In the European Union countries, batteries are recycled. There is a clearly established process for collecting and recycling batteries. Part of the disposal costs is initially included in the cost of a new battery. Everyone knows how to properly sort batteries, and collection points for used batteries are located at almost every step. To motivate people to bring and donate batteries in supermarkets and stores special system discounts By returning your old batteries, you get a discount on the purchase of new ones. Best results Germany has reached the level of collection and recycling of batteries and accumulators. About 90% of used batteries are recycled, and the remainder goes into storage.
Australia also leads the way in battery recycling. 80% of batteries are recycled here every year. Batteries that local factories cannot recycle are sent to Europe.
In the US, batteries are recycled by small private companies. The sponsors of such enterprises are often the battery manufacturers themselves. This makes it easier to control the recycling process. In the United States, about 60% of batteries are recycled.
In Ukraine, unfortunately, there is no streamlined process for collecting and recycling used batteries. Often batteries are collected by volunteers or private organizations. Unfortunately, there are no official places specializing in battery recycling yet.
All batteries are purchased abroad, so their price includes a recycling fee. But due to the lack of necessary legislation and a center for collecting used batteries, we do not send them for already paid recycling.
Let's hope there will be positive changes soon when it comes to battery recycling. In the meantime, we advise you to collect and donate batteries to special items reception. Scientists will soon come up with a new, more profitable method for recycling batteries.
We can't do without new batteries for now. If you need a battery for a smartphone, tablet or AA, AAA battery, visit our website. Here you will find not only a wide range of batteries, but also chargers.
Batteries are number one on the list of garbage that should not be sent from a bucket to a container near your home. At the very least it is irrational. Recycling batteries helps save already limited resources. Natural resources. For example, from 10 kilograms of batteries after processing, the same amount of zinc is obtained as from 96 kilograms of ore.
A mini-device measuring a couple of centimeters hides a part under a metal shell periodic table Mendeleev. If you send a battery to a landfill instead of recycling it, the casing will begin to corrode. It will ensure that lead, mercury, cadmium, manganese, nickel and alkalis enter the soil, groundwater and air. Then the matter will not be limited to the well-known 20 square meters of contaminated territory from one battery. The affected area will include the reservoirs and fields closest to the site of contamination. In this case, the likelihood that toxic elements will end up in the human body will greatly increase. You can’t burn batteries either: toxic elements will end up in the atmosphere and return to earth as rain. This is a reason not to send old batteries to garbage dumps, which in hot weather ignite and smolder.
Every year in Moscow, 15 million batteries are improperly disposed of. It is not officially known how many batteries are thrown into landfills in Kazan. According to statistics, there were seven batteries per person in 2011. If we imagine that every resident of Kazan throws the average number of batteries into the trash, he will personally infect 140 square meters land. 1300 Kazan residents will be able to “kill” Lake Kaban. City residents who put triple the amount of batteries into the trash can contaminate the whole of Kazan with heavy metals.
The body accumulates heavy metals. They can cause cancer, infertility, kidney damage, lung damage, nervous system and bone tissue, insomnia, anemia, vegetative-vascular dystonia, skin burns and severe irritation. The risk of getting sick increases if in water and air increased content toxic elements, and vegetables and fruits grow on contaminated soil.
Throw away batteries with household waste and think that landfill located far away, 12 kilometers from Kazan, stupid. The Samosyrov mountains of garbage in the case of improperly discarded batteries are closer than they seem. They are nearby, outside the window - in the air, earth and water.
In the 2000s, the United States, Europe and China passed laws banning the production of batteries using mercury. Russia, like 117 other countries, signed the Minamata Convention to phase out mercury last September. But the laws with the convention do not prevent manufacturers from using liquid metal as an additional component of salt batteries. Therefore, the idea that batteries do not pollute the earth with mercury is false. The special Hg marking on the battery case will indicate the degree of danger: the higher the numerical value, the more mercury in the battery. Zero - no mercury. More dangerous than liquid metal are cadmium (it cannot yet be replaced in the production of batteries) and dioxins. Combustion products are 67 thousand times more harmful than poisonous cyanide.
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 still has a long way to go developed countries in terms of a well-thought-out waste disposal policy. 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 from the trash can directly to a landfill, where they rust, burn and release a whole set of toxic substances, 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 reuse. 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?
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