Reconomy Group company Valpak has reported an “extraordinary” increase of 32% in small batteries collected for recycling since the start of 2022.
Valpak, which describes itself as the UK’s largest environmental compliance scheme, says it has provided approximately 50,000 battery collection boxes to retailers, schools and businesses around the UK and analyses data for companies to assess how much is being recycled.
It continues that battery collections form part of the wider picture of environmental compliance.
Head of Procurement for Valpak, Jon Clement, said: “We have been collecting data on battery recycling since 2010 and, traditionally, we see a boost in numbers in January and February – post-Christmas – followed by a slowing-down in spring, smaller numbers in the summer and then a build-up again in December in the run-up to Christmas.
“This year, however, there have been steady figures each month, and the number of small batteries in our recycling collections across the UK is up by 32%.”
Valpak says the drivers behind the increase are uncertain. Clement continued: “For obvious reasons, the numbers went down during the pandemic, but they have bounced much higher this year and we cannot say categorically why consumer behaviour is changing. However, we welcome it very much for the UK and our customers. Overall, it is good news for UK battery recycling.”
This is a trend which we hope will become further embedded in UK consumer behaviour.
Clement says that Valpak has been working for years to get batteries out of the residual waste stream and into the recycling bin. He contends that recycling batteries is important for the environment, and also to prevent lithium battery fires.
“If this message is being heard and acted upon by members of the public, this is a trend which we hope will become further embedded in UK consumer behaviour.”
Valpak says it runs ongoing consumer messaging campaigns, through #PowerToDoMore and provides local authorities and businesses with free battery recycling boxes and organises awareness campaigns in schools such as battery recycling art competitions.
Valpak also says its award-winning Re-Volt scheme is the “world’s first” zero-carbon battery collection scheme. The scheme operates across four cities around the UK, using cycle couriers to collect batteries from businesses, free of charge.