Hot TOPICS 
Batteries are included
(February 08, 2010)A LITTLE known European initiative means that another ingredient that is
currently part of the concoction of waste that is put into landfill can
now be recycled.
The
sale of AA, triple A and a variety of other batteries now
require
larger retailers to offer to take them back for recycling free of
charge.
require
larger retailers to offer to take them back for recycling free of
charge. Launched
on February 1 the Government has reacted to EU law which demands
that at least a quarter of these smaller batteries are recycled by 2012.
Currently it is estimated that 97 out of every 100 batteries sold end up in the bin.
DEFRA is in charge of the scheme and are hoping that this year they will encourage a ten per cent response.
It says that 21 batteries per household each year are discarded (www.defra.gov.uk/news).
'600 million a year'.
"This
is another positive step which we should encourage but there really
should have been a lot more publicity about this," says Paul Macdonald.
"I have now kept a washed out redundant pickled onion jar to put our discharged batteries in."
Steve adds: ''I've been waiting for this to come in but I haven't thrown away a battery for several years - and have an old battery collection to prove it. (see photo)
''Rechargeables are the way to go and even the cheap ones sold by Lidl are very good these days.''
Steve adds: ''I've been waiting for this to come in but I haven't thrown away a battery for several years - and have an old battery collection to prove it. (see photo)
''Rechargeables are the way to go and even the cheap ones sold by Lidl are very good these days.''
*Paul
regularly combines a trip to town with recycling cardboard, plastic
bottles, glass and cans. There he often finds the bins overflowing. Do
you have the same experience?