Battery Recycling Regulations

To find out how the new Regulations will affect you, click on the appropriate button below;

Manufacturer or Importer of batteries in to the UK

Retailer or Distributor of batteries

Schools, Colleges and Public buildings

Civic Amenity Site

A Business or Organisation generating waste batteries

A member of the public

Battery Recycling in 2008

The growth of mobile communications and the use of power equipment has increased our
dependence on battery powered equipment. As the majority of mobile phone users change their
handset (and battery) every two years the number of discarded batteries is set to rise. Discarded
phones usually end up as landfill - a process that uses up both landfill space and wastes recoverable
materials. Changes in legislation have resulted in organisations now being held directly responsible
for the waste which they produce. Items such as battery waste that were usually disposed of with
all other waste now need to be handled individually and recycled where possible.

Latest News

BatteryBack - power to the people - 3rd November 2008

Despite the fact the Government have yet to publish the draft Battery Recycling Regulations which were promised last July, BatteryBack are on track to have over 1,000 free collection points throughout the UK by Christmas. In addition, a number of major retailers are aiming to launch BatteyBack in the New Year. Government delays may mean the implementation of the Regulations may be delayed until late in 2009, WasteCare are committed to help fund customers to promote battery recycling to ensure Britain is best placed to meet its legal commitments as set out in the Battery Directive. Further delays may result in Britain being fined by the European Commission. “As we already have the lowest cost model in Europe and we are ready to go, it seems odd that the Government are to risk being fined. Further delays will cost producers, retailers and eventually users more”. Explains Simon Perfect, Commercial Director of WeeeCare Plc.

Remploy powers into new battery recovery scheme - 1st October 2008

Remploy e-cycle – part of Remploy, the UK's leading provider of sustainable employment services for disabled people – is to play a significant role in the UK’s first-ever free national battery recovery service.

Launched on 1 July, the scheme enables batteries of any type and size to be disposed of in specially-designed ‘BatteryCans’ collection canisters which are to be stationed at more than 30,000 local authority civic amenity sites, schools and supermarkets in the UK.

Created by WeeeCare plc ahead of new Battery Recycling Regulations which are expected to be introduced after the European Battery Directive comes into force on September 26, the service is being operated by not-for-profit company BatteryBack.

The directive states that 25 per cent of all portable batteries must be recycled by 2012, rising to 45 per cent by 2016. Currently the UK recycles less than three per cent of portable batteries, with more than 30,000 tonnes of batteries being discarded every year.

For the launch of the service, WeeeCare – which manages the UK’s largest compliance scheme for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) – is combining their existing national collection network of over 28,000 sites with Remploy e-cycle and battery recycler Revatech to ensure the lowest battery compliance costs anywhere in Europe.

E-cycle’s involvement in the scheme will be the provision of a full and secure battery sorting service as well as pre-treating the collected batteries before recovery.

Tony Stroud, general manager of Remploy e-cycle, said: “The growth of mobile communications and the use of power equipment has led to an increase in dependence on battery-powered equipment. E-cycle is delighted to be making a significant contribution to the ever-expanding battery recycling market.

“Items such as battery waste that were usually disposed of with all other waste now need to be handled individually and recycled where possible. WeeeCare Plc’s recovery scheme will enable manufacturers and importers of batteries to dispose of them responsibly and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. In addition, the association with e-cycle enables stakeholders to meet their corporate social responsibility (CSR) objectives as they are helping to provide sustainable jobs for disabled people.”

E-cycle, which employs more than 230 people across four sites in England, specialises in taking IT equipment that has reached the end of its working life and refurbishing it to a standard that allows it to be re-deployed, sold or responsibly disposed of in accordance with data and waste legislation. This includes the EU’s recently introduced Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, which aims to minimise the environmental impact of electrical and electronic equipment by increasing re-use and recycling, and reducing the amount going to landfill.

Peter Hunt, chief executive of WasteCare, WeeeCare’s parent company, said: “The supply agreement with Remploy e-cycle to sort and pre-treat the batteries will be part funded by the value of recovered metals. We have the lowest collection cost structure in Europe, so the cost to retailers will be zero, whilst we expect the cost to producers to be no more than 1p per battery produced. This is less than a third of the cost being charged in most other EU countries.”

Tony Stroud added: “Batteries contain hazardous material which, if consigned to landfill, can have an adverse effect on soil. Recycling batteries is a much more environmentally friendly and responsible approach.

“Businesses, including battery manufacturers, importers and retailers are also being increasingly dictated to by their customers, who see CSR as a priority. By working with e-cycle, that responsibility comes in the form of helping to provide sustainable jobs for the 230 disabled people it employs.”

BatteryBack win charging derogation - 22nd September 2008

The Environment Agency (EA) have this week ruled that portable batteries are exempt from hazardous waste consignment note fees. Following a submission by WasteCare to the regulator earlier this year, the EA have announced the exemption of portable batteries from hazardous waste consignment note fees. This is in line with car batteries and fluorescent tubes and has to be welcomed by industry in wake of the new Regulations, expected later this year, which impose strict new targets for recycling. "The derogation effects the collection and movement of small quantities of waste portable batteries and this decision will certainly help the UK meet our recycling targets under the EU Directive. The UK currently recycles 3% of portable batteries placed on to the market and by reducing the cost burden on small volume collections this has to help with the target of recycling 25% by 2012." explains Graeme Parkin, Operations Director of WasteCare. BatteryBack have recently launched Britain's first free recovery route for all types of batteries. WasteCare are currently looking into other derogations that will help to encourage recycling and reduce the burden on industry.

BatteryBack update - 4th July 2008

The Governments response is exactly in line with our expectations. At the same time, the launch of Free BatteryBack has gone well. Morrisons and Bradford Council have this week launched a joint initiative at stores, schools, civic amenity sites and public buildings within the BD post districts. See separate press release. From next week the BatteryBack.org website will give locations of over 1,000 free collection points for all types of batteries. Type in your own postcode and it will identify 10 of your nearest public access sites. Currently these will be mainly civic amenity sites. As new public access sites are opened the website will be updated. Since Free BatteryBack was announced we have had a steady stream of enquiries, with over 200 of the new BatteryCans being ordered by retailers, councils and large commercial premises. With a clearer vision of what we can expect from the Regulations we are now pressing ahead by ordering an additional 1,000 BatteryCans for immediate distribution. BatteryBack is also underwriting all treatment and recovery costs for 2008. It is estimated that Britain will need over 80,000 collection points throughout the country. With the likely introduction of interim collection targets combined with a delay in the introduction of the Regulations, it is essential that BatteryBack gets an early lead. The aim is to have at least 2,000 trial sites by this October. Once the draft Regulations are published the roll out will be stepped up.

More Positives than Negatives - 10th July 2008

BatteryBack, the free national battery collection scheme, has welcomed the Government’s response to the recent consultation process on the implementation of the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Directive.

“This is a pragmatic and sensible interpretation of the Directive and is completely in line with our expectations,” Peter Hunt, Chief Executive of WasteCare, commented.

He said the main points that could be taken from BERR’s response included:

• The Regulations will not be in force until 1 April at the earliest. We deduce this from the fact that BERR are anxious to move as quickly as possible but state that further consultation and the draft Regulations will not be issued until the Autumn.(read October/November). This means the Regulations will not be before Parliament until January/February. We do not expect the Regulations to be in force before 1 July 2009. Regulations, concerning the labelling and restriction of dangerous substances, are expected to be in place by the 26 September.
• Despite the fact only 5 respondents out of a total of 67 preferred a multiple scheme approach without a coordinating body, this is the Governments preferred option. Interestingly, BERR did not comment on the suggestion that 5 stakeholders raised, that being combine battery compliance with the existing WEEE system. It is worth noting the 20 Local Authorities that responded favoured a Single Scheme approach.
• No doubt as a consequence of the difficulties BERR has encountered with WEEE trading, the Government are expecting Battery Compliance Schemes to provide national coverage for battery collection. They also plan to set “rigorous criteria” for scheme approval. Schemes will have to demonstrate how they will collect from sparsely populated areas and how they will run effective publicity campaigns.
• 4 The Government are conscious of the extent of the challenge in raising recovery from below 3% to over 25% in 3 years. They therefore see the need to adopt several collection methods. Retailer take-back, CA sites, schools, and B2B collections being the main routes.
• The Government have made it clear they plan to set interim targets for both 2010 and 2011. Schemes will be required to show in its operational plan how it intends meeting the targets and will be threatened with being withdrawn should it fail to succeed.
• Whilst the Government are minded to exempt small producers from the financial obligations of collection and recovery the Directive requires ALL producers to register and provide sales data. The Government are still seeking market data before suggesting suitable thresholds but we estimate this will be 100,000 batteries or around 0.01% of the UK market.
• 7 Distance sellers will be required to register with a scheme in the same way as native producers.
• The Government wishes to exclude small retailers and distributors from take-back requirements. Again they are yet to publish the thresholds but it will be based on the weight sold and the size of their premises. For example petrol stations may be exempt.
• The Regulations will require schemes to have sufficient collection points throughout the country including all DCFs as well as public buildings, large commercial buildings, retailers, all funded by the Producers.
• The Regulations will require proof that the batteries have been recycled in line with the requirements of the Regulations to satisfy compliance and calculated on the basis of mass balance.
• Producers of both industrial and car batteries will have to join a scheme in their own right. In fact some schemes may be dedicated to one sector only.
• The recovery target for industrial batteries and car batteries will in effect be 100%.
• Due to the intrinsic value of both car batteries and many industrial batteries, independent collectors will be allowed to continue to collect but the batteries must be recycled by a licensed facility in the UK.
• There will be no exemption for small producers of industrial or car batteries.

To see the full Government response

'click here'

Battery scheme charges up - July 2008 - Local Authority Waste & Recycling Magazine

Compliance scheme WeeeCare is forming a consortium with battery manufacturers and major retailers to launch a free national recovery scheme for all types of batteries.
The scheme will be operated by BatterBack, a not-for-profit company which has been set up for the introduction of the battery recycling regulations, due to come into effect this autumn.
The directive states that 25% of all portable batteries must be recycled by 2012, rising to 45% by 2016. Currently, the UK recycles less than 3% of portable batteries, with more than 30,000 tonnes of batteries being discarded every year.
Simon Perfect, WeeeCare's commercial director, said that BatteryBack would combine the collection of batteries with the collection of other hazardous waste.
He says: "Batteries are normally collected in weights below 20Kg. It is, therefore, environmentally and commercially unacceptable to collect batteries on their own."
BatteryBack will provide BatteryCans - Specially-designed collection canisters - at local authority civic amenity sites, schools and supermarkets. Made from recycled plastic, the BatteryCans will store batteries before collection.
BatteryBack have also entered into a supply agreement with Remploy to regionally sort and pre-treat the collected batteries before recovery.