The UK is set to become “self sufficient” in battery recycling – scrapping existing needs to send old batteries for processing in Europe, according to the firms behind the scheme.
England-based environmental service provider Ecosurety said it has teamed up with US electronic recycling company, Belmont Trading, to formally open the recycling plant in Scotland next month.
An Ecosurety spokesperson told BBB the plant would be the first “fully functioning recycling plant predominantly for consumer batteries”. “Until now, the UK has only had plants that collect and sort these batteries to be sent for recycling in Europe,” the spokesperson said.
Sorting and shredding of batteries at the new plant, at Belmont’s Kilwinning site near Glasgow, will start in November following the installation of more than GBP300,000 ($387,000) worth of specialist equipment, Ecosurety said.
The facility will be able to process around 20,000 tonnes of batteries annually. According to Ecosurety, the UK sent around 17,000 tonnes of consumer batteries for recycling last year.
Damian Lambkin, head of innovation at Ecosurety, said: “This partnership means the UK could potentially stop sending batteries abroad for recycling. It is also a big win for producers who will not have to cover the additional cost burdens of sending spent batteries overseas.”
