UK School Kids Encouraged To recycle Old Batteries

School children over the UK are now being persuaded to recycle batteries following the introduction of a fresh advertising campaign by the European Recycling Platform (ERP).

The advertising campaign comprises of a short video narrated by a 12-year-old boy from Cornwall, demonstrating a battery travelling from his house to school and then to a recycling centre.

The goal is to encourage children to assist meet recycling targets. The UK is legally required to recycle 25 % of its batteries by 2012, and 45 per cent by 2016. In 2009 only about 2 per cent of waste batteries were recycled. On the other hand, since January 2010 battery producers have been legally required to fund the collection, treatment and recycling of batteries.

47,000 tonnes of batteries are applied in the UK each and every year, but the majority is thrown in receptacles and end up in landfill. Some batteries contain hazardous elements for instance lead, mercury and zinc. It could be damaging to the surroundings to send these to landfill, since the heavy metals may well flow into the soil once the battery casing corrodes.

Numerous of the items we use each and every day are run on batteries, including mobiles, laptops and torches. Recycling batteries is excellent for the environment as it shows that the metals within the batteries can be used again. This reduces the need for raw materials and avoids environmental damage from them in landfill. It is possible to also reduce disposable battery use by making use of rechargeable batteries.

UK schools can ask for no cost battery collection boxes from ERP, to be collected for totally free when they’re full. To locate out additional, visit the ERP internet site. Other compliance schemes may also offer a similar service.