Brazil is a country strongly linked to the incorrect disposal of waste from the mining industry and the mining company Nexa Resources has become a highlight in the recycling of batteries with its proper disposal plant in the state of Minas Gerais.
In addition to standing out in the field of zinc mining around the world, this Friday (08/07), Nexa Resources has excellent results regarding the disposal of waste from its activities in the sector mineral. This is because the mining company has become the largest in the recycling of batteries with its plant for the proper disposal of products in Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais, and has been contributing to mining with more environmental responsibility.
Battery recycling plant of the mining company Nexa Resources is a highlight in mining in the state of Minas Gerais
In the midst of a scenario of strong environmental impacts caused by the advance of mining activity in Brazil, the company Nexa Resources is consecrated as a major contributor to the environmental commitment in the state of Minas Gerais. The company has the largest battery recycling plant in the region of Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais, and goes against the grain of improper disposal of products and waste from mineral exploration, seen in much of the national territory.
Data from the Brazilian Electrical and Electronics Industry Association (Abinee) show that Brazil consumes, on average, a total of 800 million batteries annually and, of that total number, only 5% receive proper disposal at the end of use.
In this way, the improper disposal of this product contributes to urban environmental problems and the mining company Nexa Resources has been investing in recent years in the recycling of common, alkaline and rechargeable batteries, in addition to portable batteries, to reduce the impact of this problem in the state of Minas Gerais.
This is one of Nexa Resources' assets currently focused on so-called circular mining, which seeks to use recycling as a way to avoid improper disposal of waste and promote the reuse of materials.
Thus, company data show that the mining company recycled more than 207 tons of batteries in 2021, equivalent to about 36,7 tons of zinc and other metals recovered and transformed by the company, which will be reused in the manufacture of these products.
Find out how the battery recycling process takes place at the company's plant and the importance of the activity for the environment
The entire battery recycling process of the mining company Nexa Resources is carried out in partnership with the company Green Electron in the region of Juiz de Fora. Thus, the process begins with the collection and forwarding of the products to the plant from Juiz de Fora, where the piles are initially crushed and blended with other raw materials and fed into the Waelz Rotary Furnace, where the metals are separated for reuse.
In this way, cells and batteries gain a new purpose and José Maximino Ferron, general manager of Nexa, at the Juiz de Fora unit, highlights the importance of the process: “ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) themes are already part of our operations, which operates in a sustainable way, focused on waste management and promotion of the circular economy. With the recycling of cells and batteries, we managed to ensure that the extracted zinc is reused as a raw material and used in the production of primary zinc”.
Thus, the mining company Nexa Resources continues to be a reference in terms of sustainability and environmental commitment in mining in the state of Minas Gerais and has been operating with the recycling plant since 2013, contributing to minimizing the problem of improper disposal in the region.
