On 20 December 2004 the EU Council of Ministers reached political agreement on a draft directive on batteries and accumulators. This draft agreement has now been passed to the European Parliament for further discussion. The new Department for Productivity, Energy and Industry (formerly the DTI) are leading on negotiations at EU level, and member states will have 24 months to implement the directive once it has been agreed. The government anticipates that the Batteries Directive will enter into force in Europe by mid 2006, with UK legislation in place in 2008.

The draft directive aims to:

•  contribute to a high level of environmental protection
•  maximise the separate collection and recycling of spent batteries and accumulators
•  reduce the disposal of batteries and accumulators in the municipal waste stream

The new directive will cover all batteries regardless of shape, volume, weight, material composition or use. Batteries used specifically for military applications or in equipment designed to be sent into space are excluded from the scope of the directive.

The UK currently collects less than 2% of used portable batteries for recycling, but recycles approx 90% of spent automotive and industrial lead-acid batteries. Therefore, the main focus for improvement in the UK will be to improve the collection and recycling rates of domestic portable batteries.

Valpak have so far been monitoring the progress of the directive and discussing potential implications with the government implementation team. We are monitoring the interest from our members, and may establish a member group to examine implementation options in the UK. If you would like further information about the Batteries Directive please email Richard Barnish.