Authorities

In Switzerland, the disposal of spent batteries is regulated by law. The regulatory requirements regarding recycling of batteries are extremely high in Switzerland and provide material for political discussions again and again. Below please find information on selected topics.

Which kind of waste does Batrec accept?
What are spent batteries made into?
How large is Batrec’s capacity?
What is Batrec’s recycling efficiency?
What are the benefits of disposal through Batrec?
Why is recycling in Switzerland more expensive than abroad?

Which kind of waste does Batrec accept?

Batrec Industrie AG is processing metalliferous hazardous waste including:

• – Household batteries (alkali manganese, zinc coal, mercury, lithium, lead, nickel cadmium and nickel metal hybrid batteries)
  
• – Spent catalysts
  
• – Charbon actif
  
• – Activated carbon
  
• – Mercury-containing waste
  
• – Mercury-containing waste water/sludge
  
• – Dental waste and amalgam
  
• – Thermometer and mercury encased
  
• – Ion-exchange resins

What are spent batteries made into?

Batrec converts hazardous waste into valuable raw material. The utilization balance is as follows:

1000 kilogram spent batteries are made of:

50-100 kg organic material (plastic, paper, wax)
50-100 kg coal
This material is transformed into energy through pyrolysis.

50-100 kg water
50-100 kg salt
These substances are passed on to the waste water treatment plant.

300 kg ferro-manganese (iron, manganese)
200 kg zinc (purity 98.5%)
0.3 kg mercury (purity 99.995%)
These substances are re-used in industrial applications.

80 kg slag
Will be deposited as inert material.

How large is Batrec’s capacity?

Batrec is processing about 5000 tons of hazardous waste each year.

What is Batrec’s recycling efficiency?

Very high. Batrec technology differs from other well-known technologies in two crucial aspects: the processing depth and the processing of toxic substances. Due to the high processing depth we are able to recover the major metals iron, manganese and zinc from household batteries in a closed process and to use these as products on the market for the production of new goods.
At Batrec, toxic materials, for example toxic mercury, are processed in a very sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. Mercury is completely distilled and recovered as metallic mercury. The mercury recovered from the recycling process by Batrec has a degree of purity of 99.995%! Other known technologies cannot guarantee that toxins are not released diffusely and uncontrolled into the environment through products, by-products or residual waste.
Batrec fully complies with the stringent legal requirements in Switzerland. Compliance is constantly reviewed by the Swiss authorities and can be proved by a mass balance.
Particularly because of the high environmental standards in Switzerland, many other countries are interested in battery recycling by Batrec Industrie AG – despite higher processing costs. Dutch and Swedish spent batteries are imported into Switzerland and recycled by Batrec.

What are the benefits of disposal through Batrec?

At Batrec, your hazardous waste is in good hands, mainly for the following reasons:

• – Wealth of experience: Batrec Industrie AG has been processing hazardous waste since 1992; Batrec is a worldwide pioneer in handling toxic substances and the disposal and processing of heavy metals.
  
• – High level of technological know-how: Batrec Industrie AG keeps their know-how and technological processes always up-to-date. Today, Batrec technology is considered gold standard worldwide. Presently, we know of no other technology equal to or comparable with Batrec technology.
  
• – Reliable and safe: Batrec Industrie AG is a company manufacturing in Switzerland in accordance with the Swiss law. Reliability and safety have top priority. In 2001, Batrec has been awarded the ISO Certificates 14001 and 9001 (Quality and Environment). The OHSAS 18001 Certificate, Safety, is in preparation.
  
• – Sustainable and eco-friendly: Batrec Industrie AG is the only company worldwide that has developed a system which completely isolates hazardous toxins and metallic substances contained in spent batteries in a closed cycle and converts them into new products. Hazardous waste is turned into valuable raw material which can be returned to the production cycle. This cycle conserves resources and is sustainable.
  
• – Transparency: Compared with its neighbors, Switzerland has very high requirements regarding environmental compatibility in recycling spent batteries. Swiss legislation requires that pollutants be recycled completely and that the release of pollutants into the environment through residual waste be avoided. Batrec Industrie AG complies with the legal requirements 100 percent. Compliance is constantly reviewed by the Swiss authorities and can be proved by a mass balance.
  

Why is recycling in Switzerland more expensive than abroad?

Every Swiss citizen pays 1.45 francs per year for the recycling of spent batteries. What he gets in return is simply the most environmentally sound disposal of spent batteries worldwide and the guarantee that the materials can be re-used to a large extent. Certainly, batteries can be disposed of at lower costs abroad – however, not as friendly to the environment. Because Switzerland is such a small country, Batrec is processing smaller volumes than foreign recycling companies. This difference in volume also has an impact on the price. However, 1.45 francs are still a low price for a considerable service that benefits both the environment and our health.