Page 11 from: July / August 2007
Through an alliance designed to
identify global best practice in auto-
motive battery recycling, Johnson
Controls and the Chinese govern-
ment have undertaken a tour of
world-class smelters in Europe and
North America.
A lead-acid battery producer and
recycler, Johnson Controls is aiming
to show Chinese officials the most
efficient and effective processes for
lead-acid and advanced chemistry
transportation battery recycling.
The company agreed to sponsor the
initiative to help China adopt a bet-
ter closed-loop recycling system
whereby manufacturers reclaim the
lead, plastics and acids contained
within batteries, thereby standard-
ising the process and helping to cut
down on pollution and related
health risks.
Intended to serve as a benchmark
for China’s global recycling study
initiatives, the tour includes visits to
four smelter sites in Germany,
Spain, Mexico and North America,
as well as to state-of-the-art battery
manufacturing and distribution
facilities. ‘We look forward to assist-
ing the Chinese national govern-
ment in proposing new policy initia-
tives that will make the lead recy-
cling process in China as efficient
and environmentally friendly as
anywhere in the world,’ says John
Sibson, Johnson Controls’ Executive
Director Corporate Strategy and
leader of the company’s tour delega-
tion.
According to Mr Sibson, tours and
presentations will enable Johnson
Controls to highlight current recy-
cling regulations as well as exam-
ples of all secondary lead smelting
furnace and process technologies.
The intention is also to provide an
overview of the environmental
health and safety standards prac-
tised by Western smelters.
Europe
toughens
stance on
organic
pollutants
The EU has moved to restrict the
‘permanent storage’ of waste con-
taining persistent organic pollutants
(POPs) in abandoned mines or land-
fills. Under existing regulations,
POP-contaminated wastes from the
power production, metals, construc-
tion, water and waste industries
must, as a general rule, be
‘destroyed or irreversibly trans-
formed’ in a way that removes the
POPs. Waste containing POPs above
newly-introduced limits will now
have to be destroyed or irreversibly
transformed in all circumstances.
The thresholds are identical to
those proposed by the European
Commission in November last year;
adoption was delayed by disagree-
ments among member states.
Scope to
improve
industry’s
energy
efficiency
According to a study published by
the International Energy Agency
(IEA), industrial energy efficiency
could be improved by 18 to 26% even
without introducing new technolo-
gies. Areas in which further
improvements could be made
include ‘conventional factory sys-
tems’ such as motor and steam sys-
tems, combined heat and power gen-
eration, and materials efficiency and
resource use, according to the IEA.
The study is intended to contribute
to the G8 action plan on climate
change, clean energy and sustain-
able development.
www.iea.org/Textbase/press/pre
ssdetail.asp?PRESS_REL_ID=231
N E W S
Recycling International • July/August 2007 11
WORLDWIDE SUPPLIER OF
SHREDDER
REPLACEMENT
CASTINGS
HAMMERS
GRATES
BREAKER BARS
REJECT DOORS
Levand House 1849 Crestwood Blvd.
Irondale, AL 35210
tel + 1 (205) 956 1111
fax + 1 (205) 956 2256
www.levand.com
[email protected]
ESTBLISHED 1934
LEVAND STEEL
& SUPPLY
CORPORATION
advertisement
China studies best car battery
recycling practices
EU rule-book on waste exports
The EU has published new rules
on the procedures exporters must
follow when sending certain types of
waste to be landfilled or incinerated
in non-EU and non-OECD countries.
A regulation published in mid-
July covers a number of wastes –
including electronic waste – as well
as several countries including
Russia, China and India. The book
sets out whether waste exports des-
tined for recovery in these countries
is prohibited, freely permitted or
subject to a prior informed consent
procedure. The information was
compiled through a questionnaire to
third countries following the adop-
tion of new EU waste shipment
rules.
See EU regulation 801/2007 at:
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUri
Serv/site/en/oj/2007/l_179/l_179
20070707en00060035.pdf
RI_006 NEWS:Opmaak 1 07-08-2007 12:27 Pagina 11
