Recycling and waste

Producer responsibility: Batteries Directive

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The Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009

The new Batteries Regulations were laid on 14 April 2009 establishing a new Producer Responsibility system for the collection, treatment and recycling of waste portable, industrial and automotive batteries. Defra has set up the system for portable batteries.

The new waste batteries and accumulators regulations will introduce:

For all batteries

  • Requirements for any persons placing batteries on the market to register as a producer of batteries, and report on waste batteries collected and sent for recycling;
  • requirements for the treatment and recycling of waste batteries.

For portable batteries only:

  • interim collection targets to assess progress towards the Directive’s targets of collecting waste portable batteries equivalent to 25 per cent of sales by 2012 and 45 per cent by 2016;
  • producers will meet their responsibilities for collection and recycling by joining a Battery Compliance Scheme (BCS). BCSs will be approved by the relevant environment agencies of the UK; BCSs will also carry out publicity aimed at consumers informing them how they can return their waste household batteries for recycling;
  • producers who put less than 1 tonne of portable batteries on the market will register with the environment agencies but will not have to fund collection, treatment and recycling;
  • from February 2010, certain retailers of household batteries will have to collect in-store these batteries when they become waste.
Aims and requirements of the Directive

The Batteries Directive was published in the Official Journal on 26 September 2006. It seeks to improve the environmental performance of batteries and accumulators and of the activities of all economic operators involved in the life cycle of batteries and accumulators, e.g. producers, distributors and end users and, in particular, those operators directly involved in the treatment and recycling of waste batteries and accumulators.

UK transposition and stakeholder consultations

Responsibility for leading the implementation of the Batteries Directive was shared between Defra and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS, formerly BERR) namely:

  • Defra leading on portable/household battery provisions (including portable batteries arising from business and industry) and on treatment provisions for all batteries
  • BIS leading on automotive/industrial batteries and single market provisions

April 2009: Government Response to the last consultation on draft regulations (BIS)

December 2008: Consultation document on the implementation of the Batteries and Accumulators and Waste Batteries and Accumulators Directive (2006/66/EC) – Waste Battery Collection and Recycling Provisions (BIS)

Other domestic activity

The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) have carried out work to determine the most effective way of collecting batteries to meet the targets under the Directive.

ERM was commissioned to carry out a cost-benefit assessment of different collection and recycling routes. The study used a life cycle assessment approach and has been used to assist in policy formulation during the transposition of the Directive.

Related links

Contacting Defra

If you would like further information not covered by these pages, you can contact us:

Portable Batteries
Producer Responsibility Unit
Waste Management Division
Defra
Area D, Floor 6
Ergon House
Horseferry Road
London, SW1P 2AL

Email: portable.batteries@defra.gsi.gov.uk

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Page last modified: 1 July 2009
Page published: 5 February 2003

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs