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Mobilisons Les Énergies! 

Sep 07, 2017 04:12 PM

This Saturday, September 9th, Europe celebrates its third annual European Battery Recycling Day. This day, organized by Eucobat, a European association working to ensure that all waste batteries are collected and recycled in an ecologically sound way, works to raise the awareness of consumers and businesses on the importance of collecting spent batteries for recycling.

In France, nearly 45,000 students will participate in a large collection of batteries through organized events throughout the country. More than 1.3 billion batteries are sold each year in France, but after they are used, many end up in the trash. To avoid the risk of pollution and recover the metals in battery, Corepile is organizing Battery Recycling Day in France, while Stibat runs efforts in the Netherlands. There will be more than 24,000 places, including supermarkets, drug stores, and primary schools, in the Netherlands where people can drop off used batteries. 

As we use more and more electronic products, batteries are now indispensable in our daily lives. As the number of batteries used each year grows, as does the need for battery recycling. Batteries require a special recycling process due to the substances found inside, some of which are harmful to the environment. Often, these substances can be reused, another benefit for the planet.

At Symantec we are doing our part by meeting all applicable legal and regulatory requirements related to batteries. Amongst several European Directives that apply to Symantec hardware products, there are two, the European Batteries Directive and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, that require manufacturers or importers to deal with batteries specifically. These requirements include:

  1. Regularly reporting the type and quantity of batteries placed on the different national markets within the European Union and European Economic Area.
     
  2. Designing products that meet certain design requirements. For example, internal batteries cannot be soldered permanently onto the circuit board and the appliance has to be labeled with a special logo making it clear that it is not suitable for general waste (see image below).
Photo credit: European Commission, 2017

Symantec itself offers its professional customers across the globe an option to return their used appliances. Symantec then determines if and what components of a returned appliance can be reused and refurbished or must be responsibly recycled. Customers in many European countries can also use the EARN network, which Symantec supports, to have their old appliances recycled in a responsible manner.

Symantec has partnered with Thinkstep on battery compliance to manage our reporting obligations through their EC4P program. Thinkstep, which provides sustainability software, data and consulting services, helps businesses drive operational excellence, product innovation, brand value, and regulatory compliance. Through the EC4P program, Symantec reports to one entity and Thinkstep helps ensure that we meet the national battery and WEEE laws in many European countries, and more around the world. EC4P experts help Symantec stay up-to-date with changing regulations and help us implement cost-effective and reliable compliance arrangements in each country.

We hope you’ll join the efforts on European Battery Recycling Day! Several Symantec sites across the globe – including Cape Town, Dublin, Dubai, Paris, and Warsaw -  are facilitating a battery recycling effort for employees. Contact your facilities team to see if your site is participating. 

We will also continue to provide products and services that meet and exceed international standards, including those related to battery recycling, to do our part for the planet. For questions, information or documentation on any aspect of Symantec's products or supply chain please contact cr_compliance@symantec.com.

 

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