TraceGrow, Finland, are recovering manganese, zinc and copper from alkaline batteries and reclaimed copper to produce a high-purity foliar or soil micronutrient fertiliser, approved for Organic Farming in the EU. 50% of the world’s soils are deficient in zinc and 10% in manganese. These micronutrients are recovered from end-of-life consumer alkaline batteries by crushing, acid leaching then purification to generate soluble sulphates, plus copper recovered from end-of-life electronics and electrical parts. 15 batteries produce one litre of micronutrient fertiliser (4.1% Zn, 4.4% Mn, 1.9% Cu, 6.1% S, plus c. 1% K, 1% Na). TraceGrow has 35 million l/y production capacity, under expansion to 5 Ml/y. The fertiliser shows field trial results from twelve countries on barley, wheat, maize, potato, grass, citrus fruit. Manganese can be particularly effective in improving winter crop resistance to cold, and copper is important for grain yields in oats and barley. The product illustrates the need to continue to extend the CMC annexes of the EU Fertilising Products Regulation 2019/1009, in that it is not covered by current CMCs nor by the proposed new CMC15 “Recovered High Purity Materials” (published for public consultation to 14th January 2022): this proposal includes high purity sulphates, but only from a “production process” (EU Commission JRC’s 3rd preparatory report specifies line 2823 excludes “Materials obtained from the recycling facilities for waste materials”). TraceGow “ZM-Grow”: https://www.tracegrow.com/zm-grow.

Source: ESPP - European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform