Nyrstar plans to recycle 88 million household batteries a year and keep them out of landfill

Eighty-eight million — up to 2,000 tonnes — of single-use household batteries from across the country will be recycled each year at Port Pirie’s smelter site.Key points:Australia’s first recycling plant for single-use alkaline batteries will be in Port PirieBatteries from across the country will be sent to the site which would otherwise be processed overseasAbout 88 million AA alkaline batteries will initially be treated at the site per yearPort Pirie’s smelter operator Nyrstar has become the country’s first B-cycle accredited recycler, after the company received accreditation from the Battery Stewardship Council. Commercial grade zinc and copper will be extracted from single-use alkaline batteries sent to the site from across Australia, which will return to international commodity markets. On average, Australians use about 8,000 tonnes of alkaline batteries a year, with a…

Read more…