Decisions that make no sense
Discussion
My local supermarket is very keen to promote recycling and everything 'eco'. It has bottle banks, clothes banks, newspaper banks and EV points in the car park. In the foyer is the food collection bin and at least two other bins for other stuff I can't remember. But I do remember there's a little bin to recycle used batteries (domestic not car!).
So I trot down there today with three dead batteries to do my bit for the polar bears - but cannot find the battery bin. All the other bins are there as before, but not the battery bin. Seems I can either dump them in a wrong bin, or take them home again... I go into the store and find a manager. 'You can give them to me' she says,' we have the bin in our office'. 'How will people know how to recycle their batteries?' 'They can give them to us and we'll put them in the bin' she says. 'How will they know to do that?' Bemused expression. I try again. 'Whose idea was it to move the bin so nobody can see it?' 'That's what they told us to do' she says. 'Did you ask why?' 'They just said that's how it has to be'.
My only guess is that (after several years of having the battery recycling bin in the foyer where the public put batteries in it), somebody has decided it's too dangerous. Maybe children will come along and eat them? There is a shred of sense in that - but if I'm right, why did the staff not know that, and why did nobody think to replace the bin with a sign saying 'Please hand your dead batteries to a member of staff for recycling'? Because as it is, no batteries will be recycled because nobody knows where the bin is and nobody will think of asking.
It's the brainlessness that gets me... and a shining example of lack of joined-up thinking.
Somewhere a middle manager or two needs 'recycling'!
So I trot down there today with three dead batteries to do my bit for the polar bears - but cannot find the battery bin. All the other bins are there as before, but not the battery bin. Seems I can either dump them in a wrong bin, or take them home again... I go into the store and find a manager. 'You can give them to me' she says,' we have the bin in our office'. 'How will people know how to recycle their batteries?' 'They can give them to us and we'll put them in the bin' she says. 'How will they know to do that?' Bemused expression. I try again. 'Whose idea was it to move the bin so nobody can see it?' 'That's what they told us to do' she says. 'Did you ask why?' 'They just said that's how it has to be'.
My only guess is that (after several years of having the battery recycling bin in the foyer where the public put batteries in it), somebody has decided it's too dangerous. Maybe children will come along and eat them? There is a shred of sense in that - but if I'm right, why did the staff not know that, and why did nobody think to replace the bin with a sign saying 'Please hand your dead batteries to a member of staff for recycling'? Because as it is, no batteries will be recycled because nobody knows where the bin is and nobody will think of asking.
It's the brainlessness that gets me... and a shining example of lack of joined-up thinking.
Somewhere a middle manager or two needs 'recycling'!
I can tell you why the bin's been taken away from public access areas but I agree with your summation on the quality of the information flow and quality of middle management.
Batteries are a PIA for any waste system. They can be and are recycled but is not a simple process and its efficiency has been impacted by increasing numbers of spent lithium batteries being dumped in bins designed for Alkaline batteries. Lithium batteries can arc in certain conditions. You really don't want this happening anywhere.
This is when it happens a transfer station: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsUjSE-ibKo
Imagine that in the foyer of your local Morrisons!
Some of the recycling companies, local authorities and others have determined it better to remove the bins until a solution is found.
But that doesn't excuse the lack in knowledge of this fact by those at the supermarket.
Batteries are a PIA for any waste system. They can be and are recycled but is not a simple process and its efficiency has been impacted by increasing numbers of spent lithium batteries being dumped in bins designed for Alkaline batteries. Lithium batteries can arc in certain conditions. You really don't want this happening anywhere.
This is when it happens a transfer station: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsUjSE-ibKo
Imagine that in the foyer of your local Morrisons!
Some of the recycling companies, local authorities and others have determined it better to remove the bins until a solution is found.
But that doesn't excuse the lack in knowledge of this fact by those at the supermarket.
Dingu said:
So you look down on recycling and then whinge when you can’t do it? That’s what I’ve taken from the post.
No, they are doing me a favour by taking my old crap, and they make a big deal of it - and then take away the dream.As for the practicalities, economics or science of recycling, I think we all know it's not all green pastures and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the processes emit more CO2 or use more energy than they save. What I 'look down on' is the blind lust for 'eco' regardless of all other factors, the god, the religion, that says all we have to do is that or that and we will be saved.
StevieBee said:
...its efficiency has been impacted by increasing numbers of spent lithium batteries being dumped in bins designed for Alkaline batteries. Lithium batteries can arc in certain conditions. You really don't want this happening anywhere.
Aha, so the (hopefully trained) staff get the job of sorting out alkaline from lithium because the public will get it wrong. Excellent sense, thanks 
Funny you should post that now. Maybe the reason.
https://www.rdrnews.com/news/local/city-officials-...
https://www.rdrnews.com/news/local/city-officials-...
Anyone that sells batteries is required to have a collection point for recycling old ones ... it's not optional.
https://www.gov.uk/battery-waste-supplier-reponsib...
https://www.gov.uk/battery-waste-supplier-reponsib...
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