How do the regulations affect me?
Any business that produces, imports, supplies or disposes of batteries and accumulators is affected. Specifically, the proposals will affect the following businesses:
- Manufacturers
- Importers
- Distributors
- End-users (practically every business in the UK)
- Businesses involved in treating and recycling waste batteries and accumulators
- Vehicle sales and maintenance businesses
Manufacturers and importers
If you place one tonne or less of portable batteries on the market per year you will not have to pay for the collection, treatment and recycling of batteries, but you will have to register with the National Packaging Waste Database (NPWD).
If you place over one tonne of portable batteries on the market per year, you now have to pay for the collection, recycling and disposal of waste batteries in proportion to your market share.
To do this, you must register with a battery compliance scheme that will arrange the collection, recycling and disposal of batteries on your behalf. You must also ensure that the batteries you place on the market comply with the regulations on battery labelling and design.
Portable battery sellers: If you sell 32kg or more of household batteries you will have to take back these batteries in-store, free of charge, when they become waste. We can assist by offering battery collection point material: please click here for further information.
Industrial and vehicle battery producers: If you produce industrial and automotive batteries you will have to arrange separate collection and recycling of waste industrial batteries and vehicle batteries. You must ensure that all waste batteries that you take back or collect are taken to an approved battery treatment operator or exporter for treatment and recycling.
Disposal of waste industrial and automotive batteries by landfill or by incineration was banned on 1 January 2010.