Alkaline batteries are recycled into soil

Disposable batteries can meet the electricity needs of large and small daily electrical appliances such as remote controls and small toys, but they only bring convenience. At the same time, if the batteries are not properly handled, they will also have a negative impact on the environment. Recently, Australia lithium batteries Recycling company Envirostream announced that they have extracted manganese and zinc from waste alkaline batteries, which can be used as soil micro-nutrient supplements in the future.

 

        The so-called alkaline batteries, that is, disposable batteries using alkaline electrolytes, are a common type of dry battery. Lithium Australia subsidiary Envirostream pointed out that the company sells 6,000 tons and approximately 158 million alkaline batteries in Australia each year. However, the recycling efficiency of batteries is not high. In the end, 97% of the discarded alkaline batteries will end up in a landfill.

 

        When the battery equipment is not used for a long time, the alkaline battery should be taken out and stored in a waste mineral water bottle or plastic bottle. This is because the battery stored for a long time will leak electrolyte, corrode electronic products, and be harmful to the human body and the environment. Randomly discarded in a landfill site may also cause fire hazards. Disposal of alkaline batteries is an important global ecological issue.

 

        At present, there are various channels for recycling batteries in Taiwan. They can be handed over to cleaning teams when disposing of garbage and recycling resources, or they can be handed over to convenience stores, supermarkets, photographic equipment stores, etc., all of which can reduce the chance of discarding batteries at will, and the Australian lithium industry also We are striving to find ways to reduce our carbon footprint and environmental impact. If the recycling effect is not good, is there a new solution?

 

        In this regard, they feel that it is a good way to use batteries as a source of fertilizer. The main raw materials in alkaline batteries, zinc and manganese, are actually natural trace element fertilizers. At present, they have also added "battery supplements" in potted plants in the laboratory. Posts", the initial results are good. In the future, in addition to testing supplements in the laboratory, the scope of testing will be gradually expanded. It can be applied to locations with low soil pH and lack of zinc, manganese and phosphate, and ultimately hope to be applied to wheat growing areas in southwest Australia.