You are a producer of batteries if you manufacture or import batteries or appliances containing batteries and place them on the UK market for the first time.
Portable batteries are sealed batteries or battery packs that you can carry, including:
- primary (non-rechargeable) batteries
- secondary (rechargeable) batteries
- button cells
- batteries in household appliances.
If you produce portable batteries you must record the amount in tonnes and chemistry type (eg lead-acid, nickel-cadmium) of the batteries you place on the market.
Depending on the amount of portable batteries you produce, you will either need to join a Batteries Compliance Scheme (BCS) or register with your environmental regulator.
What you must do
You must not place batteries on the market that contain mercury or cadmium above the threshold levels and you must ensure that you label the batteries properly.
Battery materials and labelling
Portable batteries
If you produce portable batteries you must keep written records of the total amount of batteries in tonnes that you produce per year, every year. For 2009 your records must start no later than 5 May.
If you produce more than one tonne of portable batteries per year, you must join a battery compliance scheme (BCS) and start paying a fee to the scheme for the cost of recycling separately collected portable batteries.
Your fee to the BCS will be in proportion to your market share.
If you produce more than one tonne of portable batteries per year your BCS will be responsible for:
- registering producers
- reporting sales data
- publicity and collection
- making sure waste batteries are treated or recycled.
Collection schemes will be free to consumers who use batteries.
Small producers of portable batteries
If your business produces one tonne or less of portable batteries per year then you must register with your environmental regulator using the National Packaging Waste Database (NPWD).
You have to apply to be registered using the NPWD within 28 days of the date when you first place batteries on the market.
You must provide information about your business and the amount and type of batteries you produce.
The NPWD covers producers in the whole of the UK.
Environment Agency: Batteries – small producers
Environment Agency: Batteries – National Packaging Waste Database FAQs
National Waste Packaging Database (NWPD)
Batteries in appliances
If you produce appliances that contain batteries you must provide instruction on how to remove batteries from the products. This will help recycling businesses recover batteries from waste EEE.
Battery collection targets
Battery compliance schemes are being set up to enable the UK to meet EU recycling targets of at least:
- 25% of portable household batteries by 2012
- 45% of portable household batteries by 2016
All collected batteries must be treated or recycled at an approved site, or sent by an approved exporter for treatment or recycling abroad.
In this guideline:
Battery materials and labelling
Producers of portable batteries
Producers of industrial and automotive batteries
Batteries compliance schemes for portable battteries
Distributors and retailers of portable batteries
Treating, recycling or exporting waste batteries
What should you do with waste batteries
Further information on batteries
Batteries legislation
