Discarded and forgotten: The transient value of batteries

Battery equipment doubled in four years

According to the Road Safety Board of Trustees, there are in every household average 21 batteries. Four years ago there was an average of ten. “More and more electrical devices are battery-operated,” says Michael Merstallinger from the Waste Electrical Equipment Coordination Office (EAK). According to the Chamber of Labor, batteries are now also found in many devices that previously had a power cable or were powered by disposable batteries, such as LED tea lights, flashlights, vacuum cleaners or spice grinders.

With this amount of batteries in the household, you can Lose overview. Unlike batteries, many batteries cannot be changed by the user. The electricity storage devices discharge over time, which destroys them. At some point they even let themselves go no longer charge and the devices they are in unusable. This won’t mean a major loss in value for an electric tea light, but it will for a smartphone.

It’s hard to say how long a battery can sit around

Every second person keeps their old cell phone at home – for example as a backup device in case their current cell phone is defective. In order to keep old devices functioning, you should pay attention to their battery, says Roland Brunner from the Montanuniversität Leoben: “A lithium-ion battery should at least 20 percent Have a maximum charge level of 80 percent. Then you get an optimal service life.” He advises storing devices that are rarely used regular intervals to control.

However, it is difficult to name an exact interval or maximum length of stay: “It depends very much on you Cell chemistry “When it comes to the exact mix of materials in batteries, there are always larger ones Differences. When checking, you should check whether any material is leaking from the battery and charge it. If the charge level does not change within the first ten minutes or the device becomes hot, you should stop charging immediately.

Please do not open it yourself

“If a battery is broken, it is broken. It can no longer be repaired,” says Brunner. The battery can then only be used through recycling. Michael Merstallinger advises consumers to at least use battery-operated devices every half year to recharge, “but only a little, not fully.” It is better to pass on devices that you no longer use while they still work. On Used goods market buyers were easy to find. You can also donate old cell phones, for example in the Ö3 lucky bag.

If a device with a built-in battery can no longer be charged, you should not try to open it yourself. It’s best to dispose of it. “We have a very well-functioning network in Austria Collection points“where you bring devices with batteries.” In Vienna, for example, these are the ones Muck places. Collected devices are sent for recycling where you can valuable materials such as nickel, cobalt or manganese.

Many expect a second life

Under no circumstances should you throw unused electrical devices with batteries into the trash. Unfortunately, this happens every now and then. According to the waste disposal company Saubermacher, one ton of residual waste on average 20 batteries included, including a lithium-ion battery. If it still contains load and is crushed or broken in the trash compactor, it can close burn start.

There is a growing trend, especially for larger lithium-ion batteries “Reuse” Market. Other E-car batteries get about a second life as stationary storage. According to Merstallinger, individual defective cells in such batteries can also be replaced and new energy management systems can be installed. If you do it right, batteries can remain functional for a very long time.