Canadian Government Launches Disposal Study

The National Post reports that Environment Canada has commissioned a review to identify how many spent batteries are tossed out annually and the hazards posed by chemicals contained in them. It says the results could one day contribute to new regulations as already exist in the United States and Europe for the use and disposal of the power sources.

But an industry association says the department could do far more for the environment if it responded to requests – first made more than a year ago – to tackle the flood of counterfeit and other cheap batteries from the Far East that may contain high levels of mercury.

“We’re kind of disappointed that they need to do studies as opposed to move into action on something that is fairly obvious to us,” said Susan Antler of the Canadian Household Battery Association.

An estimated 200 million household batteries are sold in Canada yearly. About 90% are non-rechargeable and it would appear most end up in landfill sites or incinerators. That does not include millions of car batteries and batteries housed in cellphones and laptop computers.

Mercury, lead and cadmium are by far the most worrisome chemicals, but other ingredients, such as zinc, copper, manganese, lithium and nickel, may also threaten the environment, according to a European Union document.