Battery Sorting & Separation

KMK has a purpose built batteries sorting line whereby trained operatives identify and sort all types of household batteries brought to the facility from organised collections.

Collected batteries are emptied into a large hopper, which feeds individual batteries and bags of batteries down onto a conveyor belt.

Experienced personnel identify and sort the individual batteries by type and by chemistry.

Materials travel the conveyor and initially are sorted by removal of the following fractions into dedicated bins: rubbish, Lithium, 6 Volts, Packs, Bags, Lead, WEEE Waste.

All batteries that are not immediately recognised are put on one side for later analysis, which can include contacting the manufacturer (if one can be identified) to determine the chemistry of the cell.

Button Cell batteries are received in such low numbers that there is no dedicated bin for these. They are put aside and gathered separately.

Bags and packs are in turn put through the hopper for a second and third sort.

Bags are opened as they arrive at the sorting personnel and are split into the same fractions as above. 

Packs are sorted into bins based on whether they are Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), Lithium Ion or Lithium. 

All remaining batteries reach the end of the conveyor whereby the fall into the Alkaline/Zinc Carbon Batteries dedicated fractions bin.

Fractions resulting from the Sorting Process are as follows:
• Alkaline/Zinc carbon
• Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)
• Nickel Cadmium (NiCd)
• Lithium Ion (Li-ion)
• Lithium
• Button Cells
• 6 Volt Batteries
• Lead Batteries
• WEEE
• Rubbish
• Water