Re: Brinks Home Security Fraud

["Robert L Bass" <RobertLBass@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

"tourman" wrote:
>
> That reminds me, I have been collecting old used alarm batteries from
> my service calls, as well as those of other small dealers who drop
> them off. I used to have a guy who worked at the monitoring centre,
> who came by periodically to pick them up for free, but he has somehow
> disappeared, leaving me with several hundred old batteries to dispose
> of......
>
> I haven't taken the time to call to see if they are worth anything to
> a metal recycler. But my wife is getting piss*d with the growing pile,
> so I have to do something with them, and soon. Seems to me, with the
> huge increase in demand for lead, they ought to be worth something.
> Anybody know ???

Bob, I don't know about your particular province, but BC has had a program
called "TIPS" for some years.  The program pays for the cost of transporting
used lead-acid batteries to licensed processing facilities where the lead can
be recovered for use in other devices (more batteries, perhaps?).  The TIPS
plan apparently is limited to brokers and processors who sign an agreement.
What, if anything, your province offers is another matter but it's probably
worth checking with local authorities.

Because lead is in high demand right now the value of your used battery
stockpile may be more than the cost of transportation and processing.  I've
read stories about Chinese firms offering to buy up used batteries in bulk
(much larger quantities than any small dealer might have, I'm sure).  The
problem is that the Chinese take no precautions against environmental damage
and they don't protect workers who must handle toxic materials.
Unfortunately, money talks so there is no shortage of American firms willing
to supply them with used batteries and/or to buy the processed results,
regardless who ore what may have been destroyed in the process.

Though it doesn't directly affect you, perhaps you may find the following
interesting.  The EU has passed a law (they call it a "directive") concerning
recycling of used batteries.  The text is here:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:266:0001:01:EN:HTML

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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Bass Home Electronics
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Sarasota · Florida · 34233
http://www.bassburglaralarms.com
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Customer Service 941-870-2310
Fax 941-870-3252
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