ReCharge - Recovery and reuse of high value metal resources from portable battery waste

The UK Battery Waste Regulations now in force is increasing the volume of battery waste required to be recycled. Project ReCharge sets out to utilise this resource to improve the supply of Zinc, Nickel, Lithium and other metals presently going to landfill or being exported as waste. The UK has no battery waste treatment facilities at present for some battery types. This project will establish a low energy method of utilising this waste stream. ReCharge will use known industrial biotechnology processes to extract and concentrate the metals contained within various portable battery types. This process enables biological extraction from high metal content wastes, it has to compete economically with present smelting technologies. The project aims to economically recover metals from battery waste; by cultivating micro-organisms, optimising growth and recovering the metals produced. The technology will be exploited through a licenced UK waste processing company.