EU: Commission fines three companies €68 million for car battery recycling cartel

The European Union has fined three battery recycling companies a combined $72 million for forming a cartel that artificially kept the purchasing price for used car batteries low.

Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: “Well functioning markets can help us reduce waste and support the circular economy. Therefore, we do not tolerate behaviour that undermines competition. The four companies fined today havecolluded to maximise their profits made from recycling scrap batteries, reducing competition in this essential link of the recycling chain.”

From 2009 to 2012, four recycling companies took part in a cartel to fix the purchase prices of scrap lead-acid automotive batteries in Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. The companies are Campine (Belgium), Eco-Bat Technologies (UK), Johnson Controls(US) and Recylex (France).

Recycling companies purchase used automotive batteries (from cars, vans or trucks) from scrap dealers or scrap collectors. The used batteries are obtained from collection points such as garages, maintenance and repair workshops, battery distributors, scrapyards and other waste disposal sites. Recycling companies carry out the treatment and recovery of scrap batteries and then sell recycled lead, mostly to battery manufacturers, who use it to make new car batteries.

Full Content: Sat Press News

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