Battery industry leaders have launched a campaign to combat the “serious threat” to lead-acid recycling operations from the disposal of lithium-ion batteries.
Lead battery trade industry body Battery Council International (BCI) said potential explosions caused by lithium batteries entering the recycling stream puts workers and equipment in recycling centres at risk.
But according to a BCI survey of 123 battery sorting and handling companies, 21% of respondents did not provide or receive training for new employees, 19% of respondents “were not sure” what to do with lithium batteries received and 5% indicated they “did not know the difference” between lead-acid and lithium batteries.
Now BCI has released a video as part of a ‘lithium battery training toolkit’ to help lead battery sorters and handlers identify lithium batteries.
The video highlights the differences between lithium and lead batteries and warns of the consequences of including a lithium battery in a lead battery pallet.
The latest issue of Batteries & Energy Storage Technology (BEST) magazine includes an in-depth feature on Europe’s battery recycling chaos— including a report on how misplaced lithium batteries were the main cause of fires in waste treatment facilities in Austria that caused millions of euros in damage in recent years. Click here to subscribe.