South China's Guangzhou City has announced a scheme to recycle unwanted mobile phone batteries, the first of its kind in China.
Citizens can now give their old batteries directly to sanitation workers. The city's environmental sanitation bureau will then seal and pack selected phone batteries.
Investigations show that discarded phone batteries are increasing rapidly in the city, with the number reported to be no less than 20 million.
Next year, Guangzhou will put together a new regulation requiring mobile phone factories to be responsible for the recycle of any batteries that they issue.
Batteries containing heavy metal elements will pollute soil and water resources if they are directly buried into the ground.
(CRI May 22, 2004)
