Australians drain the life from more than 400 million batteries each year. Less than 5% are recycled, and our consumption of batteries is increasing year to year.
When dumped in landfill, batteries can leak a range of toxic substances, including lead, mercury and cadmium, into the environment.
To counter this, Ecocycle is leading the way in battery recycling in Australia. Our approach is to:
- Accept all types of batteries. There’s nothing to think about – if it’s a battery, we’ll recycle it.
- Simplify collection. From pre-paid collection buckets suitable for just about any workplace to skips and stillages for large volumes of big batteries, we’ve got the logistics of battery collection covered.
- Automate sorting. Automated sorting is the key to increasing the value of recovered batteries, to reduce the overall cost of battery recycling and to improve the safety of the entire recycling chain.
- Provide safe storage and processing. We are investing in state-of-the-art facilities to ensure the safe storage of batteries as they wait for recycling, and seek to maximise the volume of batteries that are recycled within Australia.
Sorting
Before batteries can be directed to the correct recycling stream they need to be sorted. Ecocycle is investing in state-of-the-art sorting systems to automate this process. Computer-controlled sorting machines separate batteries according to size and chemistry, and do so far more quickly, accurately and efficiently than manual sorting.
Storage
Some of the less common types of batteries need to be stored until a sufficient quantity is available to make recycling economically viable. To ensure the highest level of safety, our new battery storage facility is being equipped with sensitive fire detection systems, video surveillance and automated fire suppression systems, including fire-fighting foam.
Recycling
How a particular battery is recycled is mainly dependent on its chemistry. Ecocycle is committed to ensuring that as much battery waste as possible is recycled within Australia. However, the wide range of battery types and materials means that some batteries need to be shipped to specialist facilities overseas.