Your Role in Preventing Battery Waste

Every battery has an environmental footprint. By using batteries responsibly and ensuring they are managed correctly at the end of their useful life, you help conserve valuable natural resources, reduce waste, and protect the environment.

As a user of Ocean Signal products, you can contribute to waste prevention by:

• Following the product’s operating and maintenance instructions to maximize battery service life.
• Avoiding unnecessary replacement of batteries that are still functioning properly.
• Using only compatible replacement batteries recommended for your product.
• Storing batteries in accordance with the product instructions to help prevent damage or premature deterioration.
• Never disposing of batteries in the natural environment or with household waste.

Preventing Battery Litter

Discarded batteries can release substances that may adversely affect the environment if they are not collected and treated appropriately. Batteries should never be left in parks, waterways, beaches, marinas, or other public spaces, or discarded in general waste bins where separate collection systems are available.

Instead, batteries should always be taken to an authorized battery collection point or other approved collection facility in accordance with local regulations.

Working Together to Reduce Waste

Proper battery management is a shared responsibility between manufacturers, distributors, collection organizations, and end users. By preventing battery litter and participating in separate collection and recycling programs, you help recover valuable raw materials that can be used in the manufacture of new products while reducing the need for virgin resource extraction.

Every properly recycled battery contributes to a more sustainable, circular economy and helps protect human health and the environment for future generations.

Your Role in Contributing to the Separate Collection of Waste Batteries

Help Ensure Batteries are Recycled

At the end of their useful life, batteries should be collected separately from household waste so they can be safely treated and recycled. Separate collection helps recover valuable raw materials, reduces the need for new resource extraction, and minimizes potential impacts on human health and the environment.

As an owner of an Ocean Signal product, you play an important role by ensuring that waste batteries are placed into an appropriate battery collection or take-back system rather than being disposed of with general waste.

Where to Return Waste Batteries

Waste batteries can be returned through authorized collection and take-back systems that are available throughout the European Union. Depending on your location, these may include:

• Municipal household waste recycling centers.
• Public battery collection points.
• Retailers that accept waste batteries for recycling in accordance with applicable national legislation.
• Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO) collection programs where available.

Please consult your local municipality or national recycling authority for information about collection locations available in your area.

Before Returning a Battery

To help ensure safe handling and transport:

• If practical, remove the battery from the product by following the instructions provided in the applicable product manual.
• Protect exposed battery terminals, when appropriate, to help prevent accidental short circuits during storage or transport.
• Do not crush, puncture, incinerate, or otherwise damage batteries prior to disposal.
• If a battery appears damaged, leaking, swollen, or otherwise unsafe, handle it carefully and follow any additional guidance issued by your local collection authority.

Your Contribution Matters

By participating in separate collection and take-back programs, you help ensure that batteries are managed responsibly and that valuable materials—including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other recyclable metals where applicable—can be recovered and reused in the manufacture of new products.

Every battery that is collected separately instead of being disposed of with general waste supports a more sustainable circular economy and helps reduce the environmental impact of battery production and disposal.

Your Role in Supporting Battery Reuse, Repurposing, and Recycling

Extending the Useful Life of Batteries

The most sustainable battery is one that remains in service for as long as it can safely and effectively perform its intended function. Before replacing a battery, verify that replacement is necessary and follow the maintenance and inspection recommendations provided in your Ocean Signal product documentation.

When batteries are no longer suitable for their original application, they should be managed through authorized collection systems so they can be evaluated for the most appropriate next step.

Reuse and Repurposing

Some batteries collected through authorized waste management systems may be suitable for:

• Preparation for reuse, where a battery is inspected, tested, and, where appropriate, prepared for continued use in its original purpose.
• Preparation for repurposing, where a battery that is no longer suitable for its original application is assessed and prepared for use in a different application, where technically appropriate and permitted by applicable regulations.

These activities should only be performed by qualified organizations using approved processes. End users should not attempt to repair, refurbish, modify, or repurpose batteries themselves unless specifically authorized by the battery manufacturer.

Recycling and Treatment

When a battery cannot be reused or repurposed, it should be processed through an authorized battery recycling facility. Modern recycling processes help recover valuable raw materials that can be used to manufacture new batteries and other products, reducing the need to extract virgin resources.

Authorized treatment and recycling facilities are equipped to:

• Safely manage batteries at the end of their service life.
• Recover valuable materials for future use.
• Handle potentially hazardous substances in accordance with environmental and safety regulations.
• Minimize waste sent to landfill.

How Can you Help

You can support responsible battery management by:

• Using batteries for their intended purpose and according to product instructions.
• Not attempting to dismantle, repair, or modify batteries yourself.
• Returning batteries through authorized collection or take-back systems when they reach the end of their useful life.
• Never disposing of batteries with household waste or abandoning them in the environment.

By ensuring that waste batteries enter the appropriate collection system, you help maximize opportunities for reuse, repurposing where appropriate, and recycling, contributing to the conservation of natural resources and supporting a more sustainable circular economy.

Why Proper Battery Management Matters

Protecting Human Health and the Environment

Batteries contain valuable materials that can be recovered and reused through responsible recycling. They may also contain substances that require careful handling at the end of their service life. When batteries are collected separately and managed through authorized recycling and treatment facilities, these materials can be safely recovered while helping to protect people and the environment.

Improper disposal or handling of waste batteries may increase the risk of environmental contamination and the unnecessary loss of valuable natural resources.

Potential Environmental Impacts

If batteries are discarded with general waste, littered, damaged, or processed through unauthorized waste streams, materials contained within the battery may be released into the environment. Depending on the battery chemistry, these materials may contribute to:

• Soil and groundwater contamination.
• Water pollution affecting rivers, lakes, and coastal environments.
• Air emissions if batteries are improperly incinerated.
• The unnecessary depletion of valuable raw materials that could otherwise be recovered through recycling.

Proper collection and recycling help minimize these risks and support the responsible recovery of materials for future use.

Potential Human Health Impacts

Exposure to battery contents may present health risks if batteries are damaged, improperly handled, or disposed of incorrectly. Depending on the battery type, potential hazards may include:

• Skin or eye irritation from contact with battery electrolytes.
• Chemical burns from leaking battery contents.
• Fire or explosion hazards if batteries are crushed, punctured, short-circuited, overheated, or exposed to flames.
• Exposure to substances that should only be handled within appropriately controlled recycling and treatment facilities.

For these reasons, damaged or leaking batteries should be handled with care and disposed of through authorized battery collection systems.

How You Can Help Reduce Environmental Impact

You can help protect human health and the environment by:

• Never disposing of batteries with household waste.
• Returning waste batteries to an authorized collection or take-back point.
• Following the operating, storage, and replacement instructions provided with your Ocean Signal product.
• Never crushing, puncturing, disassembling, or incinerating batteries.
• Keeping batteries out of the natural environment, including oceans, waterways, beaches, and other public spaces.

By ensuring that batteries are collected separately and managed responsibly, you help reduce pollution, conserve valuable natural resources, and support the recovery of materials that can be used in the manufacture of new products.

Battery Labels and Symbols

Understanding Battery Labels

Batteries and battery-powered products are marked with symbols that provide important information about their proper use and end-of-life management. Understanding these symbols helps ensure batteries are handled, collected, and recycled in accordance with applicable regulations.

Crossed-Out Wheeled Bin Symbol

The crossed-out wheeled bin symbol indicates that the battery must not be disposed of with household waste.

Instead, the battery should be taken to an authorized battery collection point or take-back system where it can be managed through appropriate recycling or treatment processes.

By following this symbol, you help:

• Prevent batteries from entering the general waste stream.
• Support the recovery of valuable raw materials.
• Protect human health and the environment through responsible waste management.

Chemical Symbols

Some batteries may display one or more chemical symbols beneath the crossed-out wheeled bin symbol. These symbols identify the presence of certain substances in concentrations specified by applicable legislation.

Examples include:

• Pb – Battery contains lead.
• Cd – Battery contains cadmium.
• Hg – Battery contains mercury.

Where these symbols are present, the battery should be collected and managed through an authorized battery recycling or treatment system. Do not dispose of these batteries with household waste.

Other Product Markings

Depending on the battery type and applicable regulations, batteries or battery-powered products may also include markings that identify:

• The battery chemistry or battery type.
• Battery capacity.
• Manufacturer identification.
• Production or traceability information.
• Other regulatory markings required by applicable legislation.

These markings assist with the safe use, identification, collection, and recycling of batteries throughout their lifecycle.

Always Follow Product Instructions

Refer to your Ocean Signal product documentation for any battery-specific handling, replacement, charging, storage, or disposal instructions. If a battery label becomes damaged or unreadable, continue to handle and dispose of the battery through an authorized collection or recycling program.

Safe Handling of Waste Batteries

Handle Waste Batteries Safely

Even after they have reached the end of their useful life, batteries should be handled with care. Improper handling can create safety hazards, including fire, chemical exposure, or environmental contamination.

Before returning a battery for recycling or disposal, always follow the instructions provided with your Ocean Signal product and observe the safety recommendations below.

General Battery Safety

When handling waste batteries:

• Do not crush, puncture, dismantle, or modify batteries.
• Do not expose batteries to excessive heat, open flames, or incineration.
• Do not attempt to recharge non-rechargeable batteries.
• Keep batteries dry and protected from moisture unless otherwise specified by the product manufacturer.
• Store waste batteries in a cool, dry location away from combustible materials until they can be taken to an authorized collection point.
• Keep batteries out of the reach of children and pets.

Prevent Short Circuits

Batteries can generate significant electrical energy even after they are no longer suitable for use. To help prevent accidental short circuits during storage or transport:

• Avoid allowing battery terminals to come into contact with metal objects such as keys, coins, tools, or other batteries.
• Where practical, cover exposed battery terminals with non-conductive tape before transporting individual batteries for recycling.
• Transport batteries in a manner that minimizes movement and protects them from physical damage.

Additional Precautions for Lithium Batteries

Lithium batteries require particular care because they may present a fire hazard if damaged or handled improperly.

When handling lithium batteries:

• Never crush, puncture, bend, or deform the battery.
• Do not expose the battery to excessive heat or fire.
• Do not use or transport batteries that are leaking, swollen, severely damaged, or show signs of overheating.
• If it is safe to do so, isolate damaged batteries from combustible materials and take them to an authorized collection facility as soon as possible.
• Follow any additional transport or packaging requirements that apply in your country or region.

If a Battery is Damaged or Leaking

If a battery is damaged, leaking, or appears unsafe:

• Avoid direct contact with leaking materials.
• Wear appropriate personal protective equipment if handling is necessary.
• Follow the first aid instructions provided in the product documentation if exposure occurs.
• Place the battery in a non-combustible container, if it can be done safely, and arrange for disposal through an authorized battery collection or hazardous waste facility in accordance with local regulations.

Dispose of Batteries Responsibly

Do not dispose of waste batteries in household waste, on land, or in waterways. Always return batteries through an authorized collection or take-back program so they can be managed safely and recycled in accordance with applicable environmental regulations.

By following these safety practices, you help protect yourself, others, and the environment while supporting the safe recovery of valuable materials used in the manufacture of new products.