Starting on Monday businesses and battery manufacturers are looking at a range of new laws which aim to increase the battery recycling rates in the United Kingdom. The government decided to put the responsibility for recycling batteries on the shoulders of those who produce them. Currently the United Kingdom only recycled about three percent of its batteries which means that most of them end up in landfills. Not only does this take up a huge amount of space in landfills, but batteries can leak harmful chemicals which can then contaminate water supplies. A recent study aimed to find out exactly how many batteries are thrown out during the holiday season in the United Kingdom, and the findings showed that the country still has a long way to go when it comes to battery recycling.
A recent DEFRA study showed that the United Kingdom tossed out over two hundred and fourteen million batteries over the Christmas holiday alone and that nearly ninety seven percent of these batteries would end up in landfills. The average home in the UK threw away a dozen batteries over Christmas and those household with children threw away more than triple that amount. Half of those surveyed by DEFRA admitted that they simply threw away their batteries in the bin and many claimed that they were not even aware that battery recycling was an option. These numbers underscore the need for further education and awareness about the importance of recycling batteries. Hilary Benn claims the new laws are aimed at raising this awareness and making it easier for people to recycle.
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