Where to Put Broken Electrical Appliances and Dead Batteries?

 

You might be surprised to hear it, but electronic devices and batteries are often found in PMD sorting centres. Unfortunately, this sometimes happens too late: when electrical appliances and batteries are sorted incorrectly they can cause fires and small explosions. This has serious consequences.

smartphones horen niet bij PMD

Although a smartphone has a plastic case, it is not plastic packaging and it should never go into PMD. It should be taken to one of Recupel's many collection points.

Smartphones, laptops, shavers, torches, toys or drills are all electronic devices and contain lithium batteries. Employees in sorting centres are not happy when they see these electrical appliances. The batteries can cause fires and small explosions when they get mechanically damaged. This damage can be caused by a wheel loader or by the grabber on a crane that moves the bags around, or when the bags are mechanically torn open at the start of the sorting process. There are also dangers later on in the process, when separated PMD material streams are compressed into bales. If a battery has got in among them, it is also damaged during compression.

What causes the sorting error?

One possible explanation is simply a wrong idea. Small electrical appliances do often contain plastic. It might be a plastic toy, a remote control, a smartphone, you name it. Perhaps people think it should go into the blue bag because it is a plastic product or contains a lot of metal. However, only packaging is sorted and recycled from the PMD bag. This obviously does not include electrical appliances and batteries, so battery-operated products like toys should not be there. Anything that runs on batteries or electricity should be sorted safely so it can be recycled correctly in a specialised process. This avoids endangering employees in sorting and recycling plants who are working with other types of waste.

smartphone en strijkzool

Another smartphone, and as you can see even an iron soleplate has been found in PMD.

So where should you take your electrical appliances and batteries?

batterijen bij Bebat, elektro bij Recupel

You can remove used batteries from the device and hand them in at one of the many Bebat collection points throughout Belgium, including at most recycling centres and supermarkets. More information is available at www.bebat.be.
 

Old electrical and electronic appliances such as hairdryers or electronic toys can be taken to all Recupel collection points, including recycling centres, charity or thrift shops and electrical stores. For more information, go to www.recupel.be.
 

Allerhande plastic en metaal dat niet in de blauwe zak hoort

Batteries and all kinds of electronic appliances have been found here.

Zelfs een weegschaal en kookpot zijn al gespot

You might not believe it, but even a set of scales, that should have gone to Recupel, and a saucepan that was for the recycling park, have been found in PMD.

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