WBA
Waste Batteries and Accumulators

Over 18.700 tonnes of Waste Batteries and Accumulators were treated in Italy in 2019.

Due to their chemical composition, Waste Batteries and Accumulators, just like WEEE, contain hazardous substances such as zinc, cadmium, mercury and lead, which if not disposed of safely, can cause significant damage to the ecosystem.

A battery contains about 1 gram of mercury which, alone, can pollute over 1,000 litres of water.

Yet, they also contain recyclable raw materials (nickel, rare earths, lithium, iron, zinc, manganese, lead, etc.) which, if properly treated, can be recovered and re-used to create new products in line with the circular economic model.

For these reasons, the legislation provides for the implementation of separate collection systems for this particular type of waste, as well as precise rules for those placing batteries and accumulators on the market.

In fact, the Producer is responsible for establishing, coordinating and financing the collection and treatment systems for spent batteries and accumulators in compliance with environmental regulations, in addition to the adoption of measures aimed at preventing and reducing the production of WBA by promoting their re-use and recycling.