Scrapping lead batteries…

[Martin Hocking]

My local yard run by emr won’t take certain lead batteries anymore.

I’m pretty sure it’s because of this legislation

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/manage-waste-lead-acid-batteries-containing-pops

Seems like it’s batteries with an abs casing are not what they want.

It seems a bit strange that it’s only changed recently when the rules came in over a year ago.

Anyone encountered this or know anything about it?

Be good to know if it’s just an emr thing or if it’s going to get harder to get rid of the blasted things…

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

I never have any issues.
But I am registered either my local scrappy,

If in doubt dump them at your local recycling centre

 

[MetalMonkey]

Absolutely don't smash them open and put the cases in the bin lead in the scrap pile.

 

[Mark 2]

The yard I do some work at still take them but at a lower price. They had an incident of the gel type catching fire on the motorway. H and S, sizable fine and follow up action. I guess EMR, being the size they are. Have just gone with a blanket ban.It seems to be the smaller sized ones but little on the packaging tell you what's what.

 

[Robotstar5]

I have half a dozen car batteries to scrap, will have to see if I can weigh them in.

 

[Martin Hocking]

Interesting…
It was a friend of mine who told me. I haven’t done a scrap run for a while. But there’s a proper emr sign up next to the non ferrous weigh scale showing what they will and won’t take battery wise.

They told him last time it was to do with chemicals in the plastic of some batteries. But they’ve refused a couple of his batteries based on the terminal type before that apparently (presumably indicative of the plastic type). Like @Mark 2 says I haven’t seen anything on any batteries telling you what the casings are…

I’ll have a word with one of my neighbours he works at a different yard and see if he’s heard anything. He can have the couple I have, if they take them.

 

[EddyP]

My scrap guy is a bit old skool, he'd take whatever.

 

[Ross365]

Wow, who knew? I have 2 or 3 waiting to be disposed of; time to get rid! Of course, the World is already stuffed with "forever chemicals"; the so called PFA's which go in to making PTFE and can now be found in numerous creatures across the planet, including us. They were in totally unrestricted production from the 1950's until comparatively recent times.

 

[indy4x]

Had a convo recently with a local business that specialise in non ferrous scrap, gave me the heads up that small batteries that you find in UPSs, fire alarm panels etc he could take anymore as there wasn't a market for them. His thoughts were that the cost to extract the lead wasn't worth it with current prices and there maybe a charge to dispose of them if it gets worse.

On the plus side copper was way up so took the opportunity to weigh in a load of bright I have been sitting on for a several months

 

[JOEPRO]

I have half a dozen car batteries to scrap, will have to see if I can weigh them in.

See this post - I got £55 for mine pictured

Thread 'Scrapping car batteries' https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/scrapping-car-batteries.131057/

 

[indy4x]

UK Metals have lead acid batteries at 20p/kg so £200/tonne

Not weighed any batteries in for a long time but clean copper was £7.50/kg before Christmas

 

[highseas]

Our scrapyard is still paying £300 a ton for batteries and a lot of what I sent was the little sealed ones from fire alarm pannels, a yard down the way has just announced bright wire paying over £8 a kg