Eco-awareness is not the preserve of the young, and older people are far more environmentally conscious, at least when it comes to the disposal of batteries, according to a new piece of research.
The survey from the not-for-profit waste management organisation WEEE Ireland found that despite repeated warnings around the environmental and safety hazards of battery disposal almost half of under-34s continue to throw them in the bin rather than recycling them.
The poll of 1,000 adults carried out by Empathy Research, also revealed more than one in four people have no idea that batteries contain valuable resources such as cobalt, zinc, nickel and lithium which can be used again.
It found that a “worrying” 43 per cent of the younger cohort simply throw batteries in the general waste bin while just 9 per cent of the over-55s do likewise, with 81 per cent of the older group knowing they contain valuable materials.
Across all age groups, 16 per cent of the population bin batteries while 6 per cent hoard them. Only 2 per cent of over-55s hoard them, but this rises to 26 per cent for 18-34 year olds.
“They are often lauded as the most environmentally conscious, yet the survey shows a worrying 43 per cent of adults under the age of 34 actually throw their used batteries in general waste bins instead of recycling them,” said Leo Donovan, chief executive of WEEE Ireland.
Behaviour change
“Binning batteries means that a range of really valuable resources will never be recycled. We need a sea change in behaviour amongst this cohort in order to properly address the problem.”
He urged all consumers to recycle at least two more AA batteries this year to ensure Ireland reached recycling targets. Data from WEEE Ireland shows Ireland achieved a 46 per cent battery recycling rate in 2021, reaching its EU directive obligations.
There was a 16 per cent increase in the amount of batteries recycled by Irish households, in line with increased consumption and greater usage of batteries in everyday products.
The spike in recycling is equivalent to 15 AA batteries saved from landfill per person – an increase of two per person on 2020.
“This small change made a huge difference and we are urging everyone to again recycle at least two more AA batteries in 2022 to reach our target – and to stop and think before throwing them in the bin,” said Mr Donovan.
“Disposing of used batteries properly is as simple as consumers bagging them up on their next shopping or recycling trip.
“Any retailer or supermarket that sells batteries will take them back for recycling. That’s in addition to the hundreds of recycling centres across the country.
“For the millions of batteries not recycled properly every year, we lose precious elements and important resources that can only be replaced by mining. The environmental and social costs of extracting and processing the materials required for battery manufacturing can be huge.
“The world will require much less mining for materials if we can recycle more spent ones.”
However, Mr Donovan said that as battery sales soar to cater for the growing demand for electric vehicle and e-mobility devices, these targets will become harder to reach if we don’t get into the habit of recycling more.
Every battery recycled by WEEE Ireland goes towards a donation fund to support the vital work provided by LauraLynn, Ireland’s only children’s hospice. This year’s €40,000 donation brings the total raised to €520,000 since the partnership began 11 years ago.
