Push in the state parliament

After a one-way deposit, will there now be a levy on rechargeable batteries?

Battery fires repeatedly cause dangerous situations.

(Bild: Wallner Hannes)

Hot topics will be discussed tomorrow, Thursday, in the Upper Austrian state parliament: The SPÖ wants to introduce a deposit system for rechargeable batteries to prevent dangerous fires. The Greens, on the other hand, are fighting for a new edition of the prematurely exhausted federal subsidy for boiler replacement.

A deposit has been charged on cans and plastic bottles since the beginning of the year - and now there is already an idea for a new recycling incentive in Upper Austria: the SPÖ will propose the creation of a deposit system for lithium-ion batteries in the state parliament tomorrow.

"Many batteries end up in residual waste"
Red fire department spokesperson Mario Haas explains the background: "Unfortunately, many rechargeable batteries and batteries end up in residual waste, where they don't belong and often cause serious fires." A deposit system should prevent this and also "ensure the conscious and sustainable use of rare earths that are processed in the batteries", hopes Haas.

End of green prestige project?
The Greens want to prevent fires of a different kind - namely those in oil and coal-fired boilers. The federal funding pot for the exchange for climate-friendly heating systems was already empty at the end of last year, and a blue-black federal government is unlikely to refill it.

Fatal for the business location
In this case, Ulrike Schwarz, energy spokesperson for the Green Party, fears a disaster "for many people, industries, companies and the entire business location of Upper Austria". Domestic companies are market leaders, particularly in the manufacture of pellet heating systems and heat pumps. The state government should therefore lobby the federal government for the continuation of subsidies.