Poor recycling rate

Deposit on batteries is only a matter of time

Lithium batteries are found in countless products and end up at collection points far less often than cylindrical batteries.(Bild: ARDA SAVASCIOGULLARI)

Only a fraction of lithium batteries are disposed of properly. This not only costs valuable raw materials, but also poses a high fire risk in recycling plants.

The date for International Battery Day was not chosen at random: Alessandro Volta was born in Como, northern Italy, on February 18, 1745. Based on his invention, humanity is riding a never-ending wave of mobility. Batteries and rechargeable batteries have long been an integral part of everyday life. Electric cars, laptops, and cell phones, but also inconspicuous devices such as light-up headbands or children's shoes, even greeting cards and electric toothbrushes are now equipped with small energy suppliers.

More and more batteries are ending up in residual waste
However, Austria's waste disposal companies are also taking tomorrow, February 18, as an opportunity to once again draw attention to a problem caused by the seemingly endless hunger for batteries. According to estimates, around three million lithium batteries end up in residual waste in this country—a quantity that could double in the coming years as more and more old devices are discarded.

Only if we understand batteries as a valuable but potentially dangerous resource can we avoid risks to people and the environment.

Umweltminister Norbert Totschnig (ÖVP)

Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH

The damage that rechargeable batteries and the like can cause is well known. Last year alone, there were 36 major fires in landfills (see below), not to mention the loss of valuable raw materials. Specifically, while at least half of cylindrical and button batteries are recycled, the figure for lithium batteries is a meager 13.3 percent.

Facts and figures

• In 1800, Italian physicist Alessandro Volta laid the foundation for battery technology with the "Voltaic pile" named after him. Development progressed from lead-acid batteries and zinc-carbon batteries to the lithium batteries commonly used today.
• Around 7,000 tons (!) of batteries were put into circulation in Austria in 2024, almost half of which were already lithium-based. While the collection rate for other batteries is 46.5 percent, lithium batteries lag significantly behind, with a rate of only 13.3 percent.

New campaign aims toraiseawareness
Environment Minister Norbert Totschnig also spoke out on "Battery Day." "Waste management makes a significant contribution to resource and climate protection, but it also needs the help of the population," Totschnig appeals. In the spring, the "Her mit Leer" (Bring on the empties) campaign will raise public awareness of the issue. It is considered unlikely that this alone will achieve the desired recycling rate of more than 70 percent.

A deposit system therefore seems inevitable. And it should apply throughout the EU due to the massive imports of batteries from the Far East. The European Commission is obliged to examine the feasibility and possible advantages of such a system by the end of 2027. "In my opinion, that takes too long," says Totschnig, "we need a European system quickly in which batteries can be returned easily and disposed of safely."