A battery recycling initiative which was launched earlier this year could still significantly boost recycling rates, it has been claimed.
In February 2010, the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) issued new regulations which required retailers who sold more than 32 kilograms of portable batteries a year to offer an in-store recycling service.
The Environment Agency revealed in June that stores only recycled 8.58 per cent of all batteries, below the expected target of 10 per cent.
Bob Gordon, head of environment for trade body the British Retail Consortium, claimed many firms have batteries which are yet to be processed.
He told letsrecycle.com: "[Companies] have got lots of batteries that have been collected that are waiting to be collected by compliance schemes".
Furthermore, a spokesman for the VCS told the news provider that some companies wish to offer the service even though they are not required to do so.
Typical Guttridge equipment used in the recycling industry includes: Elevators – bucket elevators – valves
