S1: Okay. Our next guest lecturer at Deakin University in Hazardous
S1: Materials management, Doctor Trevor Thornton. Good morning.
S2: Good morning Tom.
S1: So the latest uh well maybe it's a boondoggle in
S1: recycling is appears to be batteries. So this company eco
S1: cycle is where the batteries collected at supermarkets go. But
S1: it is alleged not proven alleged that eco cycle is
S1: sending them to landfill and or burning them. Now, obviously,
S1: if that's true, that's not a good way to deal
S1: with used batteries. But does it is it profitable or
S1: can use batteries be economically made into something else?
S2: Yeah, yeah. So batteries, all the components of it. There's
S2: a lot of, you know, valuable metals in them. So
S2: the process is basically to break that down. And then
S2: all those valuable materials are metals rather can be recovered
S2: and used for whatever purposes. So they're suitable for. So
S2: in terms of battery recycling it is a very positive
S2: thing if it's being done properly.
S1: But why would Eco Cycle not be doing it properly?
S1: Is it because maybe they can't make money out of it,
S1: or there isn't the demand for the metals? Or is
S1: it like another sort of plastic bag in warehouse scenario?
S2: It's a bit of all of the above. As such,
S2: the bottom line at the end of the day is,
S2: is is it economically viable to recycle or any material,
S2: not just batteries, but anything as such. And part of
S2: the problem was we in Australia and businesses are not
S2: using these recycled materials as their raw materials. So the
S2: cost of, um, of, I guess, processing and making it
S2: into a suitable thing is not being met by people
S2: buying it.
S1: See, see, the problem is I can go and get
S1: one of the cheaper brands of, say, triple A batteries,
S1: you know, $10 will buy you a packet of 20
S1: or something. So let's say they're $0.50 each. Now, something
S1: that you can buy brand new, full of power for $0.50.
S1: I'm struggling to understand can can that thing there be
S1: be be transported from the supermarket to the recycler. The
S1: recycler pulls it apart, you know, assembles the various metals
S1: and things and somehow make close to $0.50 worth of value.
S2: What we've got to look at is what is the alternative?
S2: So if, for example, you don't recycle your batteries, I'll
S2: end up going into, you know, your red bin at
S2: home or wherever. And as we know, there's causing a
S2: lot of fires, a lot of contamination in landfills, etc.
S2: what we've got to accept is if we're using materials,
S2: we've also got to be able to recognise we have
S2: to pay for the recycling, etc. the environmental, I guess,
S2: management of those materials.
S1: Mhm. See, the problem is, without looking at where they're made,
S1: my guess is that a lot of the batteries are
S1: just made in China, and it's very cheap, and they
S1: don't worry too much about that. They export them to Australia.
S1: We buy them, we use them. And then it's like, oh,
S1: what do we do now?
S2: Yeah, exactly. So, you know, we have things like product
S2: stewardship schemes, extended producer responsibility schemes, etc. so it's like
S2: with TVs, you know, the, the industry has to have
S2: a recycling scheme in place, which might put a few
S2: dollars onto the, the cost of purchasing the the TV
S2: or whatever the material is. That way, if you've already
S2: paid for the recycling of it, right.
S1: So what you're saying is somehow with the sale of batteries,
S1: we have to add an amount that would might go
S1: as almost like a subsidy towards this company or other companies,
S1: and that allows them to recycle them in an efficient
S1: and profitable manner.
S2: Yes. And that added cost is already there through, uh,
S2: the extended producer scheme that applies to batteries, etc.. So
S2: what it is, is again, it gets back to, uh,
S2: part of the whole process is, is the fact that
S2: if I'm recycling batteries, I want to sell that material.
S2: AM I going to recover enough to, uh, you know,
S2: cover the cost of processing and a little bit of
S2: profit as well?
S1: Um, and.
S2: That's not happening.
S1: Yeah. Well, that's the. Okay. And just quickly, where are
S1: we at with plastic bags now? Like I remember, you know,
S1: trying to do the right thing, you know, taking my
S1: surplus plastic bags down to the supermarket thinking, oh, this
S1: is good. And then we found that it wasn't good.
S1: Has that been fixed up in Australia now? Like, are
S1: we are we able to do something with all these
S1: plastic bags?
S2: Yes. Just just recently, uh, you know, that falls in
S2: the category of soft plastics. So just recently has announced that,
S2: you know, soft plastics is coming back into, uh, recycling.
S2: So hopefully we'll be able to do that. But again,
S2: it goes back to we've got to have businesses buying that, uh,
S2: processed material. Otherwise we'll end up as we were before,
S2: just getting dumped and stockpiled and causing all those problems.
S1: All right. Thank you, Doctor Trevor. Trevor Thornton there, lecturer
S1: at Deakin University. So if for recycling to work we
S1: actually have to pay a sort of like a fee
S1: when we buy something new. And I might add, there's
S1: a whole unknown industry that's coming at us all problem
S1: solar panels that have run out of their useful lives batteries,
S1: home batteries, car batteries, not just, you know, triple A batteries, uh,
S1: scooter batteries, they don't last forever. You know, do we
S1: have the ability to recycle them properly before they burst
S1: into flames?