Varta Launches Free Scrap Battery Scheme

Battery manufacturer Varta is launching what it describes as “an innovative, free of charge, scrap battery collection and incentive service.” The scheme is also billed as “an industry first.” The scheme, which is being run in partnership with Europe’s largest waste collection network, gives distributors the chance to collect and return batteries in compliance with legislative requirements and also to recover the value of the lead contained in each scrap battery.

Over the past two years, battery prices have risen significantly, driven primarily by an increase in lead price. As starter batteries are easily recycled, the lead content of scrap batteries has increased in value and Varta is prepared to pass a high proportion of this value back to distributors, as the scrap lead, once recycled, goes back into the company’s own production process.

Varta UK managing director Paul Matarewicz explains: “By returning scrap batteries to us, not only do committed distributors meet their environmental responsibilities, they also have the capability to offset a large proportion of lead-related price increases.

“By returning the equivalent number of batteries that a distributor buys from us, we estimate that distributors could be effectively buying new batteries at the same price as they did a year ago. To put this in perspective, the value to a distributor of 100 per cent scrap return to Varta could represent a ‘discount’ of up to 10 per cent off new battery prices, giving our customers a substantial market advantage.”

Added Matarewicz: “Critically, the value of scrap batteries will also rise in line with any further battery price increases, so Varta distributors can have the ability to remain ‘insured’ against further price increases.”