Palaszczuk Government leads battery recycling pilot

In an Australian first, the Palaszczuk Government is partnering with the national peak lighting body to increase the recycling rate of industrial emergency and exit lighting batteries and prevent up to 90 tonnes of toxic metal ending up in landfill annually.

The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection and Lighting Council Australia are encouraging corporate organisations, shopping centres and Councils to sign up to ‘EXITCYCLE’ to show their commitment to recycle their emergency lighting batteries.

Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection Dr Steven Miles said the EXITCYCLE battery recycling initiative would begin with a 12 month pilot in Queensland.

“We’re encouraging voluntary recycling action from big business and corporate groups to prevent emergency and exit light batteries from ending up in landfill.

“About 90 per cent of emergency lighting batteries contain nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd) which is a toxic heavy metal, and less than 5 per cent are recycled.

“It is estimated five million Ni-Cd batteries are sent to landfill each year which equates to about 90 tonnes of cadmium.”

“The pilot will provide valuable information to feed into the development of a national rechargeable battery product stewardship scheme,” Dr Miles said.

Dr Miles said this was the first time a state government had partnered with Lighting CouncilAustralia on an industrial emergency and exit lighting batteries scheme.

“We are proud to support Lighting Council Australia and encourage the use of environmentally appropriate solutions to managing our wastes,” Dr Miles said.

“A number of large businesses and organisations such as the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre have already committed to battery recycling and should be commended.”

The pilot is an initiative of Lighting Council Australia, with funding provided by the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection.

For more information visit www.ehp.qld.gov.au 

ENDS

Media contact: Neil Doorley 0412 393 909