(Finance) – In 2023 Erion Energy – Erion System Consortium dedicated to the management of Waste Batteries and Accumulators (RPA) – managed throughout the national territory 4,857 tonnes of RPA, down 52% from 2022. A figure, which is positioned within an Italian system which is struggling to grow and which sees our country still too far from the collection targets indicated by the European Union (which, for example, for waste portable batteries, is equal to 45% compared to what was placed on the market in the previous 3 years, to date we have reached just under 30%).
“The data makes it clear that there is still a lot to do to increase the collection of portable RPA, also considering that – by 31 December 2027 – the objectives imposed by Europe will be even more ambitious and we will be called upon to reach the 63% target It is essential to raise awareness and involve citizens in disposing of this type of waste correctly. To do so, greater responsibility is needed and all actors in the supply chain invest in virtuous communication initiatives”, he states Laura Castelli, General Director of Erion Energy.
Among the various factors that contribute to the low level of collection, there is, in fact, to consider the behavior of citizens who, thanks to significant information and knowledge gaps, dispose of waste batteries and accumulators incorrectly (for example in undifferentiated or in plastic) or they “forget” them in the drawers at home, missing the important opportunity to create a virtuous circle.
Right with the aim of combating the incorrect habits of citizens and increase the collection volumes of used portable batteries, Erion Energy has been engaged in information and awareness activities for years. Among these, there is Energy in the Cube, the initiative promoted by the Consortium in partnership with some municipal companies to bring good recycling practices into the homes of Italians – through a small yellow box for the collection of used batteries. A virtuous program which, in the areas involved, recorded a significant average increase in the provision of portable RPA of 14.4% compared to the previous year[1]. On the podium of the particularly virtuous territories of Energia al Cubo we find in first place Massa Lubrense (Naples) which with +94.5% achieves the greatest increase, followed by the municipalities involved in Parma and Reggio Emilia (+40.2%) and – at third place – the province of Rimini (+23.9%).
Erion Energy, in addition to being involved in projects aimed at increasing collection (such as “Collect them ALL!”) has also carried out studies and research in view of the entry into force of the new European Regulation on batteries which, as mentioned above, will impose on Italy significant efforts in terms of collection. “The new Regulation it will introduce challenges and opportunities for the entire supply chain, which is why it is essential to be ready, we cannot wait and wait. Like Erion Energy, we are very clear about the path to follow and already in 2023 we have worked to facilitate and guide a system change which – as a Consortium – has led us to rethink the collection model and triple the volumes of voluntary waste collection of portable batteries (+226%)”, concludes the General Director of Erion Energy.