According to a report in Recycling Magazine on July 8, industry associations such as the German Environment Service and Waste Management Association (BDE), the German Scrap Metal Processing and Recycling Association (BDSV), the Association of Waste Management, Circular Economy, and Service Industries (bvse), and the German Association for Metal Recycling and Waste Management (VDM) pointed out that with the rapid growth in the number of lithium batteries in recent years, despite the strengthening of fire detection and firefighting equipment installation, there is still a large amount of uncontrolled lithium battery equipment flowing back into the recycling industry, posing many unresolved challenges.
Currently, the threat of fire has become a key issue for many recycling plants to survive. After a fire causes damage, insurance companies often no longer offer further coverage, or they raise premiums to unsustainable levels.
Despite repeatedly emphasizing the urgency of the issue, politicians are still slow to take appropriate action. Various associations are especially disappointed with the revision of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG), with proposed solutions including the introduction of a deposit system for batteries, a fund scheme funded by manufacturers, battery labeling requirements, and a ban on the sale of disposable e-cigarette products.
The associations emphasized that these measures will help improve the sustainability of electronic waste management, playing a crucial role in the implementation of the country's circular economy strategy. They also pointed out that the government alliance contracts are expected to provide incentive mechanisms for the environmentally friendly disposal of electronic devices and hazardous lithium-ion batteries.
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