Economy wants deposit system: Danger from burning batteries in waste

The number of fires in recycling and disposal facilities is rising alarmingly according to operators - and the culprits are primarily discarded batteries, rechargeable batteries, and devices with built-in batteries that ignite on their own. The volume and uncontrolled return of lithium batteries pose an "almost insurmountable task" for waste management companies and lead to more and more deployments for fire departments, emphasized four associations of the circular economy sector and three fire department associations. 

Deposit System for Batteries

They criticized that a recent decision by the federal government on new provisions in the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG) does not go far enough. Efficient and quickly effective measures by the government are necessary: a deposit system for batteries, a ban on disposable e-cigarettes, or also here an effective deposit and mandatory labeling for batteries. Additionally, an emergency fund into which battery manufacturers contribute money, which serves to secure the recycling and disposal industry in the event of a fire.