UK Battery and Accumulator Regulations 2009 are the UK interpretation of an EU Directive intended to ensure the environmentally safe collection, treatment and recycling of waste batteries. These regulations were put in place to ensure producers and distributors of batteries take responsibility for the collection and recycling of used batteries.

There are 3 classifications of batteries under the directive – Portable, Industrial and Automotive. Producers of Portable batteries are required to register as a producer via a battery compliance scheme to assist with their obligation.

Industrial and Automotive producers need to register directly with the Environment Agency whilst offering takeback solutions for their obligated waste batteries.

If you are either a manufacturer or an importer of portable batteries, you are required by law to provide evidence of what you have placed on the UK market to the Environment Agency.

To do this, you will need to register with a BCS such as WasteCare Compliance Plc.  The BCS will then analyse the data reported and file quarterly reports to the Environment Agency on your behalf; the data reported will form part of your portable battery obligation.

We are legally responsible to your company to provide the evidence that we have recycled sufficient batteries to ensure your legal obligations are met.

Exempt products include:

• Items that are protecting the essential security of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA) – including weapons, munitions and war material intended for military purposes
• Equipment designed for use in outer-space
• Marked waste batteries from the Ministry of Defence are outside the regulations

A Producer is:

Any company who, irrespective of the method used, places batteries, including those already in appliances or vehicles, on the UK market for the first time.

A Distributor is:

A person or business that provides batteries professionally to an end-user.

Automotive:

A battery of any size or weight used for starting or ignition for a road vehicle engine.

Industrial:

An industrial battery or battery pack is a battery of any size or weight, with one of the following characteristics. It is:

• designed exclusively for industrial or professional uses
• used as a source of power for propulsion in an electric vehicle or a ‘hybrid’ vehicle
• unsealed but not an automotive battery
• sealed and not a portable battery

Portable:

A portable battery or battery pack is:

• sealed
• under 4 kilograms in weight
• not an automotive or industrial battery
• not designed exclusively for industrial or professional use

A portable battery has thousands of everyday uses, you will find them in things such as:

• TV and DVD remotes
• As button cells fixed to the motherboard of a personal computer or laptop
• In car key fobs
• In wrist watches
• Used to start domestic lawnmowers
• Powering bicycle lights and household torches

A producer of portable batteries that places 1 tonne or more onto the UK market each year is required to join a Battery Compliance Scheme

Below 1 tonne have the option of direct registration

Producers of industrial and Automotive Batteries need to register directly with the Environment Agency

If you are a producer of batteries, it is certainly advisable to register with a compliance scheme (or the EA if the amount is less than a tonne per year) as failure to do so will lead to investigation from the Environment Agency, potentially leading to fines and further enforcement. Fines for breaches of producer compliance regulations have, in the past, reached six figures.

No.  A producer is basically classed as the first person to place batteries onto the UK market in whatever form this manifests itself. Being part of a product does not give the batteries exemption.

By using our take back service, you can offer customers the chance to recycle their batteries with ease and convenience on any of your retail sites. Please visit our website for details of a range of BatteryCans. We will collect your batteries free of charge and pay you rebates for those with recoverable value.

Some batteries contain hazardous materials such as Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Lithium(Li) and Mercury(Hg). Although these are hazardous to the environment and can be dangerous to health, batteries are safe to handle when handled correctly. Please follow these simple instructions:

• Do not break open batteries; the dust particles released are hazardous
• Do not allow batteries to get wet. For instance, Lithium will spontaneously combust if in contact with water
• Do not expose batteries to excessive heat or fire. Batteries may explode in fire releasing toxic fumes
• Do not short out batteries (ie allow the positive and negative terminals of the batteries to touch). Sudden discharges may cause heat or fire
• Do not mix dry batteries (sealed) with wet batteries (unsealed, such as lead acid). Leaking acid can cause damage and is a risk to human health
• Never use steel containers for storage. These can cause batteries to short out suddenly causing a fire or react with acids to create hazardous fumes. Always use properly labelled plastic containers

Put simply, act sensibly and portable batteries are safe to handle. Always follow the instructions provided.