All waste automotive batteries will have to be recycled in the future at the manufacturer’s expense, as new legislation comes into effect on 1 January 2010.
Producers of automotive batteries and industrial batteries will be required to arrange the collection, treatment and recycling of such batteries, free of charge, if requested by business end-users and final holders.
The new regulations will also require battery manufacturers to register as battery makers and to report on waste batteries collected and sent for recycling.
The new law will help ease concerns about the sustainability of automotive batteries as carmakers become increasingly dependant on them as a primary source for powering their cars. Batteries are set to become a more substantial part of the make-up of a car as electric and hybrid cars become more commonplace.
The Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 complement the existing Batteries and Accumulators (Placing on the Market) regulations 2008, which set out the requirements for introducing new batteries onto the market from 26 September last year.
These regulations also introduce a ban on the landfill disposal or incineration of waste industrial and automotive batteries.
Ian Lucas, Minister for Business and Regulatory Reform, said: “These regulations are designed to complement the excellent recycling rates traditionally achieved for industrial and automotive batteries.
“In simple terms, business users of industrial batteries, and final holders of automotive batteries, such as garages, End-of-Life Vehicle authorised treatment facilities, and Civic Amenity site operators, will no longer be faced with the costs that may be incurred through recycling scrap batteries. These costs will now be met by the producers.”
