Partnership aims to dispose of end-of-life hearing devices and batteries in a responsible way

Used or end-of-life hearing devices, button batteries and related electronic and electrical equipment will be diverted from South Africa’s landfills, thanks to a collaboration between producer responsibility organisation (PRO) Circular Energy NPC, the South African Speech-Language-Hearing Association (SASLHA) and the Audiology Private Practice Forum (APPF).

These bodies have developed a take-back system for the equipment, which will see Hearing Devices and Button Batteries Collection containers placed at audiology practices, hospitals (both private and state) and schools for hearing-disabled children throughout the country, ensuring the responsible collection, recycling and environmentally sound processing of the equipment.

Circular Energy CEO Patricia Schröder says the initiative is aligned with the extended Producer Responsibility Regulations of 2020 (implemented in January 2022), aimed at ensuring the effective and efficient management of identified end-of-life products.

“As a Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment–registered PRO, we assist our producer members in becoming compliant with these obligations. As two of our partner members, SASLHA and APPF wanted not only to encourage the safe and environmentally sound disposal of equipment but also to raise awareness around the hazardous nature of some of the equipment, especially the button batteries.”

She says the responsible disposal of button batteries is made more difficult because they are small and easily thrown into a bin. “Just because they are small does not mean they don’t have a large environmental impact. Some button cells are made up largely of a known neurotoxin, mercury, while others contain substances that also need to be carefully managed. They should definitely not be disposed of in the conventional waste stream or even in ordinary battery bins.

“Many of South Africa’s general landfills are located on top of water aquifers or close to rivers. This means there is a danger of the highly toxic mercury leaching into the country’s groundwater or river systems. Heavy metals, combined with other dangerous battery elements such as lithium, can result in fires at landfill sites.

“That’s why it is vital that the disposal of batteries is properly managed – to protect natural ecosystems and to prevent any direct danger to human health and the communities who drink directly from the country’s river systems,” Schröder adds.

Circular Energy’s research found that large volumes of button cells are used in medical devices or equipment, specifically hearing and other small devices. While these types of batteries are also integrated into watches and small tech, many can only be removed using special tools and processes. The non-integrated batteries, which can easily be removed and replaced by consumers, thus became the organisation’s most urgent priority.

In addition to placing collection containers at audiology practices, Circular Energy will place them at various hospitals and schools that are eager to collaborate.

By placing the containers in places that are convenient for consumers, Circular Energy hopes to significantly reduce the amount of button batteries and hearing devices that go to landfill. “We had to think of a cost-effective way to do this. It would cost too much to send a vehicle to pick up two little button cells from each consumer, for example. When the audiology practices have collected a certain volume of batteries and devices, we then collect the containers and send their contents off for processing whereby various materials are recovered in a recycling process for supply into secondary markets and to support circular systems,” explains Schröder.

Circular Energy urges South African consumers to drop off their button batteries and spent hearing devices at their local audiologist. Consumers can also take their end-of-life items to Hirsch’s Home Stores and Woolworths where drop-off containers have been placed for responsible disposal of portable battery waste for their material recovery and diversion from landfills to the appropriate accredited facilities.

And, if you’re an audiologist and would like a Hearing Device and Button Batteries Collection container for your practice, email: info@circular-energy.org.