Collection Responsibilties

Separate collection is a precondition for ensuring specific treatment and recycling of waste portable batteries and is necessary to achieve the chosen level of protection of the environment. Consumers have to actively contribute to the success of such collection and should be encouraged to return waste portable batteries. For this purpose, convenient facilities should be set up for the return of waste portable batteries. Distributors and municipalities have an important role in contributing to the success of the collection.

As the consumer convenience is one of the most important success factors for any collection scheme, distributors should provide for the collection, at retail shops or in their immediate proximity free of charge to end-users and with no obligation to buy a new battery, unless an assessment shows that alternative existing collection schemes are likely to be at least as effective.

While the internet sales, with the countless lorries driving around for the delivery of goods could in theory increase the consumer convenience and the collection of waste batteries, this potential does not become reality, as waste products are not taken back in reality.

Municipalities are an important actor in the selective collection of waste in some Member States. For this reason, it is recommended that in these Member States the municipalities are an integral part of the collection network for waste batteries. This will increase the consumer awareness and convenience.

While the responsibility of distributors and municipalities is in practice already applied in most European countries, it is recommended to clarify this in the text of the Batteries Directive.
Information obligations for the internet sellers should be clearly defined in the legislation, including the takeback obligation at the occasion of the delivery of new batteries or products containing batteries. In particular, the website should indicate at least the available household collection points and contact information for questions related to the collection and recycling of waste batteries.