The collected and recycling of batteries and batteries advances by good way
The problem is that the batteries and batteries that manufacture at present require in his composition the use of metals weighed highly toxic, very harmful so much for the health of the people as for the environingingment when with the step of time and by the decomposition of his elements oxidan and spill his interior in floor, water and air. The mercury, the lead, the cadmium... They are present elements in batteries and batteries that in direct contact with the body in high dose can cause a long list of ailments very grave, some of them chronic, and even the death. Therefore they do not have to drill never the batteries, neither burn them, neither leave them during an excessive time in the devices or abandoned by the house since they can oxidarse and soltar his content. His exhibition to the ecosystem is not less harmful. A normal battery calculates that it can contaminate 3.000 litres of water, whereas an alcaline of long length can arrive to affect to until 175.000 litres if it is not properly treated.
Recycle is a need
In front of the grave problem that can mean an accumulation descontrolada of the toxic waste generated by batteries and batteries, the Public Administrations already does time that established mechanisms, that periodically go updating, to regulate his collected and recycling.
In Spain, the Royal decree 106/2008, that went in in force to finals of September of 2008 basing in the European Directive 2006/66/CE and that it was modified later in some appearances with the Royal decree 943/2010, beside the Law of Waste, are the rules that regulate the collected and recycling of batteries and batteries. Said normative mark several priorities.
By a side facilitates to the consumer the identification and selection of the batteries and batteries more adapted to his needs and the less contaminantes, when imposing the forcing of a clear labeling, readable and indeleble that describe his energetic capacity, the chemical symbol of the heavy metal that contain and the symbol of collected selective. Also it forbids the commercialisation of batteries and accumulators with more than 0,0005% of mercury in weight and 0,002% of cadmium in weight, with exception of the devices of emergency, of alarm and the medical equipment. And finally it establishes that they are the manufacturers those who have to do charge of the gestión of the units used, without that for the consumer suppose cost any.
The Royal decree 106/2008 also marked some final aims that indicated that for the 2011 would have to have reached a percentage of 25% of collected on the total of batteries consumed and of 45% in 2016. Felizmente, the percentage of collected marked for 2011 has fulfilled and surpassed sobradamente.
Responsibilities delivered
In accordance with the principle of “who contaminates pay”, the rule does recaer the main weight of the responsibility in the process of collected, treatment and recycling of batteries and batteries in the manufacturers. Nevertheless, the law marks a series of obligations to other agents involved in the cycle of life of this waste, as they are the Administrations and the own consumers.
The manufacturers “have put the batteries” in this task to fulfil the conditions established by the administration. The Foundation for the Environingingmental Gestión of Batteries, Ecopilas, gathers to the manufacturers of more than 70% of the batteries that consume in our country, several of them marks very known by the users. This association looks for to facilitate to the maximum to the consumers the task to give back the worn batteries and for this has organised a network of 25.000 containers of collected delivered by all the country. It treats of some tanks distinguibles by the pet drawn in his outside, called “The recopilador”, that looks for to approach to the citizenship the need of the recycling, since up to now only 18% of these products is recycled.
By his part, the competent organs of the CC AA and Local Entities have to adopt the necessary measures so that the batteries and portable accumulators of domestic origin collect separately for his back elimination or valorisation. In this sense, the City councils organise the collected and the transport of this waste through the public systems of gestión (SPG) funded by the producers or by means of the services put in operation by the Integrated cheese cheese Systems of Gestión (SIG), among others.
Finally, the consumers or final users have to contribute to the treatment and recycling of the waste of batteries and accumulators (RPA) participating in his collected selective, that is to say, depositing the RPA in the containers enabled for this, ensuring in this way that they go in in the circuit of the recycling and receive a suitable treatment, that allow reutilizar between 50% and 75% of the total of the product. Like consumers also have the option to use batteries recargables. It is well know that each battery recargable can arrive to avoid the use of some 300 batteries desechables.
Beats the record of collected of batteries used with 3.031 tonnes in 2011
Recyclia, the platform of gestión of the SIG Ecopilas, Ecoffice automation, Ecoasimelec and Tragamóvil, presented recently the data auditsed of the collected and the recycling of batteries used and waste of electrical and electronic devices (RAEE) during 2011. By categories of waste, those that have reached greater increases have been the batteries, with a ratio of collected that equivale to 34% of the put up for sale in 2011, very above the aim of 25% that established the law for this year.
Like this, the foundation Ecopilas beat in 2011 a new record of collected of batteries and batteries used when withdrawing 3.031 tonnes of this waste in all Spain, 21% more than in 2010, that equivalen to more than 34% of the batteries and batteries that the manufacturers put up for sale in Spain the past year –in front of 29% registered in 2010–.
With this balance, this SIG surpasses of long the expectations of the Royal decree 106/2008 of batteries and accumulators and the environingingmental gestión of his waste, that fixed like aim for 2011 collect of selective form the equivalent to 25% of the batteries and batteries that put up for sale every year.
To this adds the fact that, for the first time since it set up the foundation and the legal forcing of the collected selective of batteries and batteries, practically all the comunidades autonomous Spanish have surpassed the legal aim of 25%. Some exceeding even 50%, like Navarra and Aragon, and several above 40% like Galicia, Basque Country, Castile-La Mancha, Extremadura and Asturias.
Ecopilas, that has 526 companies adhered, represents 75% of the market of portable batteries and more than 25% of the industrial batteries that commercialise in Spain, according to data of the National Register of Producers of Batteries and Accumulators managed by the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade.
