EU to require battery recycling

Iria · May 3, 2006, 05:11 PM

Source: News.com
___________
Used batteries in the European Union will have to be collected and recycled under rules agreed by EU lawmakers and member states this week that aim to protect people and the environment from the effects of dangerous metals.

The European Commission tabled the rules in 2003 to boost battery-recycling rates and clamp down on using cadmium and mercury in batteries to stop the toxic metals from seeping into water supplies and polluting the atmosphere.

Matth · May 3, 2006, 08:22 PM

And also:

Quote:

The rules ban the sale of batteries containing more than 0.0005 percent of mercury, and portable batteries with more than 0.002 percent of cadmium

Looks like NiCd will fall foul of that - just stocked up on a few packs of NiCd AA, as although NiMH are superior in most respects, NiCd are better at handling an occasional over-discharge - got them for use in motor / lamp applications.

The mercury issue... standard AA tended to use a trace of mercury to improve shelf life by passivation (other than those with the "0% Hg" tag).

May 3, 2006, 05:11 PM	#1
Iria DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 7,275 Rep Power: 89	EU to require battery recycling Source: News.com ___________ Used batteries in the European Union will have to be collected and recycled under rules agreed by EU lawmakers and member states this week that aim to protect people and the environment from the effects of dangerous metals. The European Commission tabled the rules in 2003 to boost battery-recycling rates and clamp down on using cadmium and mercury in batteries to stop the toxic metals from seeping into water supplies and polluting the atmosphere.