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United Kingdom plans to keep batteries from landfills
Increasing the level of recycling and reducing some
of the 700 million batteries that go into landfills annually are at the
heart of plans published in December 2007.
The proposals, which were set out in a Government consultation, looked
at the best way to improve the environmental performance of new batteries
and ensure collection, treatment and recycling of waste batteries. They
apply to batteries of all shapes, volumes, weights, types and uses, and
will help the UK implement the EU’s Batteries and Accumulators Directive.
The proposals seek to find methods for achieving the following targets
and objectives:
- Collection targets for waste household batteries of 25% of sales
by 2012, rising to 45% by 2016;
- Prohibition on household batteries with high levels of cadmium
(with some exceptions for emergency lighting, alarm systems, medical
equipment and cordless power tools) and continued restrictions on
use of mercury;
- Clearer labeling with capacity, chemical symbol and “wheelie
bin” collection symbols;
- Various producer responsibilities, including a ban on disposal
of industrial and automotive batteries in landfills or by incineration
(in effect, a 100% recycling target);
- Responsibility for producers of appliances to ensure batteries
can be readily removed for easy collection, treatment and recycling;
and,
- Responsibility for retailers to take back waste household batteries
at no charge to consumers.
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