Dattery disposal in EU

In a bold move today, the European Union approved a new battery law designed to reduce pollution. The law states that producers of batteries and accumulators with a certain percentage of mercury cannot market their products, and are required to draw up programs aimed at reducing the heavy metal content of such products. The new law also includes direction for Member States to collect batteries for recycling separately from other recyclable products.

The law is designed to standardize the recycling of batteries found in cellphones, laptops, and other technological devices, according to Macworld UK. The EU hopes to halt the dumping of such materials into regular landfills, where some previously discarded products have begun to leak harmful substances. The cost of this recycling and disposal program is reportedly deferred to the battery companies operating in the European Union. The EU has deemed some smaller producers exempt from the payments, but the sale of batteries and accumulators containing more than 0.0005 percent mercury or 0.0002 percent cadmium is banned for all companies. The law also forbids all uses of these batteries with the exception of medical systems, alarm systems, and cordless tools.

Battery manufacturers are required to register to operate in Member States, as well as comply with more strict labeling laws pertaining to the battery's actual capacity and contents. The setup of the system will prove to be a challenge for the majority of member states. Only six of twenty-five member states currently have such a disposal system in place, with just two of those operating at the newly required levels. The goal for non-lead or cadmium is 50 percent, while the targets for batteries containing the two heavy metals are sixty-five percent and seventy-five percent, respectively.

by MacNN Staff