File photo: Dead phone batteries sold as tokunbo

Nigeria’s e-waste recycler, Hinckley Recycling, in partnership with Closing the Loop, a Dutch sustainable tech innovator, have to shipped a container of scrap mobile phone batteries from Nigeria to Europe for safe recycling.

In a statement issued in Abuja by Hinckley Recycling, the firm said this feat could become a game-changer for the recycling industry.

It noted that it had been proven that scrap batteries could be used to produce clean materials for the future.

“This is a timely move as the world is beginning to discuss the effect of electrical waste on our health and the environment in Nigeria. Batteries are toxic and can be extremely hazardous if not managed properly,” the firm stated.

It added, “This potential hazard was avoided, thanks to the effort of Hinckley Recycling and this shipment is the first of its kind from Nigeria.

“The shipment arrived safely in the Europe mid-April this year and will go into the process of recycling to extract the raw materials.”

It said the shipment of the batteries was done in accordance with the Basel Convention regulations.

The Basel Convention is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent the transfer of hazardous wastes from developed to less developed countries.

“Hinckley Recycling and Closing the Loop made sure this project was able to fully comply with the necessary international requirements,” the firm stated.

It said pilot phase of the project was supported by National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency in Nigeria, Verde Impacto, and the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, Sigrid Kaag.

It explained that through this collaboration, Hinckley Recycling Nigeria Limited had been able to contribute towards Nigeria’s goal of reducing electronic waste and turn e-waste into usable materials.

PUNCH