Battery recycling schemes off to successful start

UK to meet first interim target

6 September 2010

The Environment Agency's National Packaging Waste Database has published its battery recycling figures for the first two quarters of 2010. The figures suggest that the UK will meet its first interim target as laid out in the Batteries Regulation, which requires it to collect 10% of the waste portable batteries in 2010.

The evidence states that the proportion of batteries collected for recycling grew from 9.15% in the first three months of 2010 to 66.16% in the second quarter. This means that the UK's collection rate for the first half of 2010 was approximately 12.59%, above the required percentage. Nonetheless,the targeted collection rate remains a challenge.

The European Union Batteries Directive formally requires the UK to reach a battery collection rate of 25% in 2010, which broadly means that it must double its current collection rate in the space of less than two years.