INOBAT

In 1992, the battery producers came together to form BESO (BatterieEntsorgungs-SelbsthilfeOrganisation), a cooperative self help organisation for battery disposal. The catalyst for BESO was the new legislation forcing producers to take back all batteries for disposal free of charge according to the hazardous waste rules. The tightened procedures for export licensing resulted in a factual export ban and the need to set up a domestic recycling industry.

Thus, to provide financing for the collection and disposal of batteries, a voluntary Advance Disposal Fee (ADF) was introduced, initiated by BESO.

Through this voluntary system, the return rate of spent batteries reached 60% by 2001. However, the government, concerned about the high heavy metal concentration (e.g. mercury) in the household waste, set a target of 80%, which required further efforts and subsequently additional financing.

The overall recycling costs thus rapidly increased from 800 to 4'800CHF per ton. As a consequence the ADF had to be increased substantially. Some collection point operators who so far paid for the disposal / recycling were not ready to continue this service. Mainly, retailers refused to continue financing their disproportionately large share of returned batteries arising from consumers not having to return spent batteries where they bought them.

The voluntary system always had to fight ‘free riders', however this cost spike threatened to disrupt the system. The authorities thus introduced a compulsory ADF as of 1. April 2001 and mandated INOBAT, the successor of BESO, to manage the battery recycling system, including a central disposal fund.

All primary and secondary (separate or built-in) batteries up to 5kg are included in this system. The ADF is set in the ordinance and is weight based since all costs such as  transport and recycling are weight related, and also it conforms well with the ‘polluter pays principle'. The ADF started at 4.80CHF per kg in 2001 and has decreased to 3.20CHF per kg in 2006. Currently therefore, the ADF on individual batteries of defined categories, calculated based on an average weight, results in a fee of 5 to 10 CHF Cents for the most common types (LR 6 and R 6).

Battery producers periodically fill in a self declaration form. Based on the declared sales figures INOBAT invoices them the ADF. For built-in batteries, INOBAT invoices other Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), who manage the system for the disposal of electrical and electronic equipment .

The ADF is added entirely on the price of the product and is ultimately paid by the consumer. INOBAT recommends a transparent ADF in order to inculcate a better informed consumer.

The ADF is fed to a 'disposal fund' handled by INOBAT. According to the ordinance this fund finances the recycling, logistics, administration and the campaigning. The only recycler Batrec AG is paid a weight based recycling fee upon evidence of treatment.

Unlike the monopoly for recycling, the logistics is handled by a competitive market. INOBAT accredits carriers for the battery transport from the collection points to the recycler. Consumers and collection point operators can call the listed nearest carrier to pick a batch. INOBAT pays a fixed rate for these transports. The rates for the collection and transport of spent batteries are periodically reviewed by the authorities.

All sales points must take back batteries free of cost and independent of a purchase, resulting in a very high density of 12'000 collection points. In remote areas municipalities may manage collection points and also companies offer collection options to their employees. INOBAT supports these efforts by providing free of cost collection and shipment boxes.

Interestingly, although ever more batteries are used, their total weight, approx. 3'800t/a, remains constant due to new technologies offering higher energy and power densities. Also, heavy metal contents in batteries, the original reason for setting up the system, are rapidly decreasing.

Currently, a return rate of 66% also means that approximately 1000t/a are still not reaching the controlled recycling path. This requires increased attention and improvements in collection and logistics, but mainly in better consumer awareness.

Up to 15% of the ADF can be used for public information and awareness campaigns. INOBAT focuses on campaigns in the mass media and promotes battery bags and collection boxes.

INOBAT conducted research on consumer behaviour which found that 90% of the population ‚know' that batteries are not allowed in the household waste. Nevertheless 30% of spent batteries still end up in the municipal waste bag. INOBAT is therefore focusing on sensitising and maintaining the information level of consumers, and  will further increase the density of collection points by promoting voluntary collection points.