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Environmental protection

A vehicle contains such components as fuel, air and oil filters, shock-absorbers, oils, coolants, brake fluid, lead batteries, brake pads, electronic equipment etc. All of these parts, substances, hazardous and non-hazardous waste should be sorted, used and recycled in a responsible manner and not disposed of along with regular household waste.

Producers and manufacturers are currently faced with a particular problem related to the limitation of the use of hazardous materials in the production of vehicles. It’s important to ensure that the materials used in vehicle production cause no hazard to the environment or to human health. It’s applicable not only to the stages of vehicle production and maintenance, but also to subsequent processing works. Vehicle manufacturers set themselves goals to source as many components from recycled secondary raw-materials as possible, such as bioplastics, etc.

 

The hazardous nature of battery waste

Lead batteries need to be assembled and recycled by reusing all the materials they’re made of, therefore, they can’t be disassembled independently. Lead-acid batteries generate waste containing many hazardous chemical substances. Improperly handled old batteries emit many environmentally hazardous substances as a result of decomposition or in the case of damage caused to the battery’s frame. Hazardous substances contaminate groundwater, poison soil and plants and negatively affect human health. The contamination of the environment with heavy metals and other hazardous substances cause the spread of skin infections, oncological and respiratory diseases, blood, immune and nervous system disorders and other serious ailments.

Requirement for sorting and separate collection of waste

Battery waste should be collected separately in special tanks, barrels, boxes and other containers. The disposal of hazardous waste with non-sorted waste is prohibited and regulated by legislative measures. Battery waste collection, processing and recycling systems make it possible to collect, sort and recycle used batteries. Owners can give old batteries to a waste manager or deliver them to a specially designated collection site. This waste is collected free of charge and placed in specially designated and marked containers. Battery waste can also be delivered to bulky waste sites or hazardous waste collection points owned and operated by local municipalities. Information about waste collection points and recycling opportunities is available from the environmental protection units of municipalities, battery points of sale, the website of the Ministry of Environment and other informational publications.

This symbol used for marking batteries and accumulators means that battery waste must be collected separately without disposing it along with unsorted regular household waste.

 

Importance of recycling

The proper sorting, collecting, handling and recycling of batteries protects the environment and saves natural resources. According to European Union requirements, lead batteries should be collected and recycled for the reuse of all waste generated in the dismantling process including lead, plastic, sulphuric acid and other chemical substances.

If returned to waste handlers, the majority of waste materials are returned back to the market and used by people as new products. Any waste that can’t be recycled is utilised in an environmentally sound manner. By properly collecting and recycling old, we save raw materials and help keep the environment clean for future generations.

It’s possible to deliver lead batteries free of charge to our company at Pakalnės g. 5B, Domeikava, Kaunas. For more information, send us an email at e-mail info@ferikas.lt or tel./fax: +370 37 477760.