ARCHIVE: Who is affected by batteries regulations

If you import, manufacture, and/or sell portable batteries in the UK, then you may have obligations under the new Regulations. Find out more below. 

Retailers and distributors

From 1 February 2010, if you sell more than 32kg a year of portable batteries in your store (e.g. supermarket, newsagent, hardware store), over the internet, via mail-order or directly to businesses, you will need to take back used batteries from the public free of charge.

Details on what you will have to do, and how you can go about having the batteries you take back collected free of charge, are available in the Distributor Information Leaflet, and the list of frequently asked questions. You should also read the Advisory Note on the storage and transport of waste portable batteries.

To help you determine whether you supply 32kg or more of portable batteries per year Defra has developed a simple calculator.

To help distributors meet their obligation to inform end-users about their take-back service, Defra has developed a logo and poster which can be downloaded and printed.

Defra recently appointed the Vehicle Certificate Agency (VCA) as its enforcement body. The VCA can be contacted by email: batteries@vca.gov.uk or call 0844 8000819.  

Producers and importers

If you manufacture portable batteries in the UK, or import portable batteries, or products that contain them, you are also affected by this legislation.

Waste battery treatment operators and exporters

If you are involved in dealing with waste batteries, you will need to apply for approval from the Environment Agency.

How the regulations affect consumers

From February 2010 all portable household batteries can be recycled. See Directgov Recycling Batteries article for details of how and where to recycle batteries.  Further information is also available in the list of frequently asked questions (PDF 100 KB).

Page last modified: 6 August 2010
Page published: 28 October 2009