China Should Control Cellphone Battery Pollution

China should develop new materials and technology for battery power-saving, as pollution generated by used cellphone batteries has become more serious, said an environmental protection expert in Beijing.

Hong Kong Trader reports that Professor Qu Geping, president of the China Environmental Protection Fund (CEPF), made the remarks at a ceremony to kick off a project on saving battery power, co-sponsored by CEPF and a local company that has developed a product that could strengthen the life span of the battery.

The Chinese people’s cellphone usage has increased as their standard of living improves, Qu said. In 2000, China produced a total of 60 million cellphone batteries. Chinese cellphone usage reached 240 million by August 2003.

Qu, first director of the State Bureau of Environmental Protection and the first Chinese to win the International Award of 1992 from the United Nations Environmental Program, said used batteries contain large amounts of a substance toxic to both the environment and human beings. Currently, China is trying to decrease the number of waste batteries by replacing the substance.

China has more than 1,400 battery manufacturers, with an annual output of 14 billion batteries, most of which are consumed. In comparison with some developed countries, the battery recycling rate in China is low. Currently, the Chinese government is researching drafting a policy on preventing used battery pollution.