#IRecycle | Vehicle batteries: highly polluting but highly recyclable

Their exact name is energy accumulators, but we know them as batteries. Among its different types, those used for vehicles (especially for starting work), lead-acid, are usually the most dangerous. Lead and sulfuric acid are highly polluting materials. But, at the same time, they can be recovered and recycled almost entirely.

“We are more than 35 years old and one of our main focuses is caring for the environment. On the one hand, with regard to our production processes, and also in the process of collecting and recycling batteries”, explains to Trade Marianella Cabanillas, General Manager of Enerjet Corporation.

He explains that, due to his work with polluting elements, internal manufacturing processes not only comply with national regulations, but also with international standards on environmental protection. “But, in addition, we are fighting in a market that is not 100% regulated and a large part of the participants in the battery collection and recycling processes are not legalized”adds Cabanillas.

Despite the fact that its goal is to reach the entire collection (that is, if Enerjet enters 1,000 new units of batteriesthey want to recover 1,000 ready for recycling), their current rate is only 60%. “Everything is recovered through our different sales channels, in traditional stores or warehouses”says the manager.

Listen to Cabanillas’ participation in the podcast EC Byte [desde el minuto 17:30]:

process at home

Enerjet has a plant where they recover the elements from the batteries old to create new ones. First, they collect the material and melt the lead (which is 70% of the product). After that melting, new additives are added to make it useful again. The sulfuric acid is treated, its components are solidified and re-entered in manufacturing. All the re-treated water is reused throughout the process.

All the plastic from the different battery parts is segregated, crushed and turned into pellets, which are then delivered to the authorities in charge of using it to make new battery components.

“At the moment our main competition is the informal recyclers, who do not pay taxes, who offer prices that are not real. But, in the end, the situation forces us to be more competitive to achieve the collection of batteries”emphasizes the manager.