Belgians Top In Europe For Recycling Batteries

Across the European Union, around 214,000 tonnes of portable batteries and accumulators were sold in 2016. Once they are used, getting rid of batteries can prove problematic given that they contain extremely toxic materials and represent a serious environmental hazard. In different countries, recycling facilities and hazardous waste sites make disposal less complicated and Eurostat has released new data showing the countries with the highest rates of battery recycling

Across the EU-28, 44 percent of batteries were recycled in 2016. The lowest rate was recorded in Romania at just 21 percent. Belgium was at the opposite end of the scale, with 71 percent of all batteries recycles. In Germany and France, the recycling rate in 2016 stood at 46 and 45 percent respectively.