The European Parliament and the European Council approved on September 6th 2006 the new directive 2006/66 on batteries and accumulators and waste batteries and accumulators.
The Directive lays down:
- restrictions on the use of mercury in all batteries, and a restriction on the use of cadmium in portable batteries with certain exemptions
- collection requirements for all batteries and collection targets for portable batteries
- the requirement that all batteries and accumulators collected must be properly treated and recycled
- a ban on landfilling or incinerating automotive and industrial batteries
- the requirement that battery recycling processes must meet minimum levels of efficiency.
The full text of the directive can be found at the download section.