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| What is understood by end-of-life batteries? |
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| The batteries we all use in transistors, toys, torches... button batteries, those small batteries in watches, calculators and other small apparatuses contain metals such as mercury, cadmium and lead that are potentially dangerous for health and the environment. This waste must therefore be considered hazardous. |
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| What batteries are they? |
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The batteries that are the object of the public service are all batteries commercialised. There is a very wide range of batteries, but they may be classified basically into three large groups:
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Large batteries: these are batteries characterised by their size and used in voluminous apparatuses. The best known examples are the Leclanché saline batteries and alkaline batteries.
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Button batteries: these are batteries characterised by their small size, generally in the shape of a button. They are used in small apparatuses and mercury and lithium batteries are examples of them.
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Dry accumulators: these are rechargeable batteries that can be used for a long time. The most frequent batteries are the nickel-cadmium.
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| Why do batteries have to be treated? |
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When we throw batteries in the rubbish, we are throwing away the metals they contain. This is a risk to the environment.
- if they are disposed of in an uncontrolled landfill, the rainwater can take the metals into the underground streams, and from here into the rivers and the sea, with possible effects on living beings;
- if they are burnt in an unsuitable incinerator, the metals vaporise and are dispersed in the air, and when it rains they are sent into the land and streams. The large part of the metals are bioaccumulative and pass from one body to another through the food chain. The waste management facilities in Catalonia - both landfills and incinerators - already meet very strict standards (soil impermeabilisation or gas purification).
These problems are avoided as a result. In any case, the separate waste collection of batteries completely eliminates any risk in such installations.
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| What are the obligations of battery producers or holders? |
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Battery producers or holders are responsible for them having a correct destination, that is, they must be delivered in a suitable condition to the company operating the service or the established collection points. Therefore, batteries must not be placed with the rest of the waste.
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| What is the collection process for batteries? |
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The collection process depends on the origin of the batteries.
- Domestic batteries may be placed in the specific containers in shops that sell electrical apparatuses, games, photography, watches, jewellery, ... and also the tip points. These establishments are called collection points. Each collection point has an established place where all the management is centralised: distribution of containers, removal of full containers, delivery of informative leaflets, etc. These places are the so-called centraliser points, which may be town councils, regional councils or some centralising shops in the distribution chain.
- Industrial batteries must be stored in companies separate from other waste and without mixing them with paper, plastic or cardboard wrapping. In any case, large batteries must be placed separately from button batteries
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| What do we do when the container in the trade is full? |
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| When a shop or any other collection point has a full container, the centralising point must be contacted to come and take it away. The centralising point contacts the public service management company, which collects the full containers and takes them to the treatment plant. |
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| How do batteries have to be treated? |
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Battery treatment in Catalonia is a public service of the Generalitat, government of Catalonia. In this sense, the Agència de Residus de Catalunya - which is responsible for the management - has chosen to evaluate this waste and recover the heavy metals from the large batteries for later use in other productive processes. Button battery treatment mainly consists of recovering the mercury they contain.
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| Which is the concessionary company of the public service? |
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| The concessionary company of the public service chosen by public tender is PILAGEST, SL, which currently deals with the collection, transport and treatment of the batteries generated in Catalonia. Therefore, any battery producer or holder company must contact PILAGEST for collection. The battery collection telephone is 900-30.05.06.
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| Where are batteries treated? |
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| The batteries are treated in a battery
evaluation plant that the Agència de Residus de Catalunya
has in El Pont de Vilomara i Rocafort. The concessionary
company is PILAGEST,
SL. The treatment capacity is 2,000 tons a year of
large batteries, 15 tons a year of button batteries and
1.000.000 of fluorescent lamps..
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| How is the battery management formalised? |
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| Individual holders of end-of-life batteries must place them in the specific containers in their municipality or at the tip points. Producers or holders of industrial batteries, as waste producers, must give their producer code and complete a consignment note, which will contain the details of the producer, the amount of batteries collected, the collection date, the details of the waste transporters and manager.
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| What are the regulations applicable to battery management? |
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| Law 6/1993 of 15th July regulating waste. Decree 93/1999 of 6th April, on waste management procedures.
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| What are the rates of the battery management service? |
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| Domestic batteries are collected and treated free. The industrial battery treatment service is subject to the rates of the public service, which depend on the type of batteries and the amount to be handled. The public service management company, PILAGEST, SL, will report the current rates. PILAGEST also offers the battery collection service, which may affect any transporter authorised for this work.
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