Environment Agency - Home

EU Batteries Directive

The Batteries Directive aims to reduce the environmental impact of the manufacture, distribution, use and disposal and recovery of batteries.

Under this directive the UK will have new responsibilities in how batteries are recovered, treated and disposed of. 

What is the Batteries Directive?

The Batteries Directive will improve the environmental performance of batteries and accumulators and those involved in their life cycle. This includes battery producers, distributors and users, as well as operators treating and recycling them.

The amounts of mercury and cadmium used in new batteries have been restricted and there are new labelling requirements to encourage the battery users to recycle them.  This will reduce the quantity of hazardous and non-hazardous waste batteries going to landfill and increase the recovery of the materials they contain.

The UK target is to move from recycling 2 per cent of portable batteries in 2007, to 25 per cent (7,500 tonnes) by 2012 — raising to at least 45 per cent in 2016. 

Batteries regulation

Further information