Over 450 tonnes of batteries recycled in Russia in 2019
MOSCOW. Nov 22 (Interfax) - More than 450 tonnes of batteries have been recycled in Russia in 2019, a spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment told Interfax.
"The Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is dealing directly with the collection and processing of batteries. More than 450 tonnes of used batteries have been collected and recycled this year. A total of 1,500 battery collection points will open across Russia by the end of 2019," the ministry said.
The Battery Collection Week took place in over 30 Russian cities in the period between May and September. People were invited to drop their used batteries into special boxes.
In 2020, it is planned to build relevant infrastructure in regions to expand the battery collection network in retail stores to 2,500 points, and to continue battery collection by schoolchildren and residents across the country in spring and fall, the ministry said.
The ministry said earlier it was hoping for the appearance of a systemic approach toward the disposal of used batteries. Russia uses about 1 billion batteries per year. Additionally, the ministry elaborated a bill banning people from dumping used batteries in solid household waste containers.
According to head of the Russian Ecological Operator Denis Butsayev, about 20,000 tonnes of used batteries are accumulated in Russia annually, and only 1.7% of sold batteries are correctly disposed of.