Yes we can recycle portable batteries. We just need to get our act in gear and begin collecting them. And then we need to put our collective heads down and find a practical way to dismantle them.
The Belgians seem to be streets ahead of us on the first step at least, according to news in The Brussels Times. They achieved a 65% collection rate for portable batteries in 2025, This is ahead of the 63% European Union target.
Bebat Proves We Can Recycle Batteries
This remarkable success comes on the heels of thirty years of effort by Belgian non-profit Bebat. This organization is a non-profit that recycles old batteries from homes, shops, schools, and businesses.
But Bebat does not stop with collection. It also manages sorting and recycling portable batteries. In 2025 it collected 4,366 tons of them. That’s proof positive we could recycle portable batteries if we pooled our efforts.
Bebat CEO Peter Coonen expressed deep pride in this achievement to The Brussels Times. He attributed the success to a decade of effort setting up ‘a widespread network of collection points, accessible tools, and awareness campaigns.
Belgium’s Model for Recycling Portable Batteries
Belgium is about the size of Maryland in the United States, but with a population of 12 million people. Bebat has placed close to 23,000 collection points at supermarkets, schools, shops, and recycling parks Belgium-wide.
But Bebat does not stop there. In 2025, the non-profit issued over 4 million collection boxes to households. This simple decision made it even easier for them to collect, store and return old batteries:
- Businesses collected 38% of the volume.
- Some 27% came from recycling parks,
- Retail outlets contributed another 18%.
- Youth awareness harvested 12% at schools.
So what can we learn from this? Recycling batteries is a volume business that needs support from the entire population. The message from Belgium is clear. Yes we can recycle portable batteries, but it needs to be a collective effort.
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