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Recycling and waste

Producer Responsibility: Batteries Directive

Producer Responsibility: Batteries Directive

Stakeholder Workshops

Tuesday 30th September – Defra workshop Local Authorities and prospective Producer Compliance Schemes - Reading

The purpose of this workshop was to create an initial dialogue between prospective Producer Compliance Schemes (PCS) and Local Authorities (LA). Although the Batteries Directive does not require LA involvement, many authorities already collect batteries or wish to do so and their co-operation could also be highly beneficial for PCSs.
The aims of the workshop were to:

  • Understand how both groups saw their potential involvement.
  • Consider the scope for co-operation.
  • To introduce interested parties and promote new relationships.

The following material was presented or developed on the day:

Monday 4th August – Defra workshop with battery producers

This workshop focussed on what the Batteries Directive will mean for battery producers.  (The Batteries Directive defines ‘producer’ as any person placing batteries, including those incorporated into appliances, on the UK market for the first time.  This includes distance sellers).
The aims of the workshop were to:

  • Help you understand what will be required of you under the Directive;
  • Identify issues that need to be resolved in the regulations and options for solving them.

Find here some of the material presented and developed on the day:


Tuesday 12th August – Defra workshop with battery distributors

This workshop focussed on what the Batteries Directive will mean for companies who sell batteries.  (The Batteries Directive defines ‘distributor’ as any person that provides batteries on a professional basis to an end-user). 
The aims of the workshop were to:

  • Help you understand what will be required of you in collecting batteries;
  • Identify issues that need to be resolved in the regulations and options for solving them.

Find here some of the material presented and developed on the day:


Thursday 14th August - Defra workshop with prospective compliance schemes and waste industry and collectors

This workshop focused on what the Batteries Directive will mean to compliance schemes. Producer Compliance Schemes will be required to fulfill the responsibilities on behalf of producers once they satisfy the enforcing authorities that they meet the criteria set in the forthcoming regulations.
The aims of the workshop were;

  • Help you to understand what the requirements for compliance schemes will be,
  • Identify issues that need to be solved in the regulations and option for solving them

Find here some of the material presented and developed on the day:


Government response to consultation on implementation of the Batteries and Accumulators Directive (2006/66/EC)

On 1 July 2008, the Government published a formal written response to its Consultation Document on the Implementation of the Batteries and Accumulators and Waste Batteries and Accumulators Directive (2006/66/EC) that was issued in December 2007 and closed in March 2008  (issued on 7 January 2008 for Northern Ireland).

A link to the document can be found on the consultations page of the BERR website at: www.berr.gov.uk/files/file46878.doc

The consultation document contained 29 questions about different aspects of the proposed legislation.  There were 113 written responses from a variety of sectors including trade associations, local authorities and manufacturers.  The written response includes a full list of respondents, a summary of their views giving information on the numbers that were in favour of the various options proposed, and information on how the Government intends to move forward with its proposals for each of the different categories of batteries.

Summary of decisions on Portable Batteries

  • The UK will adopt a multiple compliance scheme system to meet the producer responsibility obligations of the Directive.

Consultation responses were mixed.  We believe multiple schemes will build on expertise in the UK, provide producers with choice, and probably lead to lower costs as a result of competition.

  • Building on the experiences from WEEE there will be robust criteria for the approval of schemes.
  • Small producers will be exempt from funding the collection, treatment and recycling of waste portable batteries.  A threshold is yet to be decided.  However ALL producers will have to register and provide sales data, regardless of their size.
  • Small distributors of batteries will be exempt from taking back waste batteries from end users.  The Government is considering setting a threshold based on the size of premises and annual sales.
  • The Government will be consulting informally on details, in preparation for the second round of consultation in the Autumn.
  • The WRAP report (to be published shortly), suggests a variety of collection methods will be needed to meet targets.

The next steps in implementation of the Directive are for the Government to introduce the final regulations for the Internal Market Provisions in time for them to take effect on 26 September 2008 and for the Government to issue a second consultation document, complete with draft regulations, on all other aspects of the legislation.

Consultation on options to implement provisions of the Batteries Directive and consultation on Single Market Provisions

www.berr.gov.uk/consultations/page43278.html

Page last modified: 16 October 2008
Page published: 25 May 2007

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs