Makita - Tommy Walsh Backs Battery Recycling Scheme Ahead of Government Regulations

Professional power tool manufacturer Makita is planning a power tool battery recycling initiative called DROP DEAD BATTERIES that could assist the Government to meet the EU batteries recovery objectives which become law in January 2009. Makita dealers and power tool retailer networks are being invited to join the campaign.

Tommy Walsh, Britain’s most influential TV construction expert, passionately supports practical green campaigns in the industry: 'Recycling batteries properly cleans construction sites for the next generation, makes land safer for us all and recovers valuable material. Don’t skip an old battery lads, drop it back at your tool dealer who will dispose of it safely – let’s show ’em we are responsible builders who care about the land we work on. Expired battery units should never be dumped on site, never chucked into a skip or put in a household dustbin.'

By January 2009 many sectors of British industry and their consumers will have to show evidence that they have a recycling strategy in place and are achieving the 25% target set by Brussels to reclaim and process around four million power tool batteries a year.

Makita’s DROP DEAD BATTERIES ‘green campaign’ will remind professional power tool users in the construction industry of their responsibility to safely dispose of failed cells by returning them to Makita dealers across the nation. Expired battery units should never be dumped on site, never chucked into a skip or put in a household dustbin.

Ni-CAD, nickel cadmium, the original power tool battery, is a particularly dangerous waste product and must never enter landfill sites, nor be risked by incineration which releases toxic gases dangerous to health, but must be recycled by secure, specialist processors. The proposed Makita service would provide dedicated drop drums at many hundreds of tools stores serving the industry, where all types of failed battery cells could be collected for safe re-processing and material recycling.

Introducing the Makita DROP DEAD BATTERIES campaign at the start of Recycle Week, Andrew Bowden, Technical Director of Makita Europe and a main board member of EPTA, the European Power Tools Association of manufacturers, said: 'Makita sincerely believes that our customers and other professionals will adopt the best practice of recycling dead batteries from power tools. Our DROP DEAD BATTERIES campaign will provide them with a properly organised deposit and collection service at minimum cost. I know that whatever the brand, our industries customers will show their responsible concern and bring tonnes of duff batteries into our stores for re-processing. I think we can set an example of how to manage a recycling system efficiently and effectively.'

Makita will provide a comprehensive advisory service to support the DROP DEAD BATTERIES campaign. http://www.makitauk.com will illustrate the need to recycle old and tired batteries, how to dispose of them safely and why we should all take responsibility for our actions and the law explained. Individuals, distributors of power tools, plant rental companies and the brand manufacturers are all liable under the forthcoming legislation. A national promotions campaign will support the proposed Makita DROP DEAD BATTERIES initiative.