European Recycling Programs

MANAGEMENT OF BATTERIES

Country
UK
Recycling system
REBAT: Rebat stands for REcycling BAtteries. The collection scheme was created to enable the British Government to satisfy the requirements of directive 91/157.
Type of batteries
The rechargeable battery types that REBAT collects are Nickel Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydride and Lithium-Ion Batteries
Recycling rates
Not available
National Legislation
Statutory Instrument 232, 2/2/94.
Legal status of the organization
REBAT is an initiative managed by the British Battery Manufacturers Association (BBMA) to encourage collection of nickel cadmium batteries in the UK, as required under European legislation. The support of industry was requested, and the International Cadmium Association (ICdA) acted as secretariat. The main requirements of the UK/EC battery legislation include:
  • Take appropriate steps to ensure that spent NiCds are collected separately with a view to their recovery or disposal - gradual reduction, in household waste
  • Ensure that NiCds and, where appropriate, appliances into which they are incorporated are marked in the appropriate manner. The marking must include indications as to the following points: separate collection; where appropriate, recycling; the heavy-metal content
  • NiCds cannot be incorporated into appliances unless they can be readily removed, when spent, by the consumer.
Activities
Collection: A number of waste management companies collect NiCd in the UK. Following a competitive tendering process in the UK REBAT selected G&P Batteries as its recommended operator to manage the collection of batteries. G&P Batteries is the largest collector of waste non-lead acid batteries in the UK. The company is fully licensed to handle all types of non lead acid batteries, both rechargeable and single-use. The company is also able to supply collection bins, collect, consolidate and transport batteries to the recyclers. There is a range of individual collection schemes in the UK. When someone in the UK wants to dispose a NiCd battery responsibly, can seek guidance either from the distributor where the battery was purchased, or the battery manufacturer or the appliance manufacturer. Recycling:There are no UK recycling facilities for portable rechargeable batteries. The batteries collected in the UK are shipped to France for recycling by S.N.A.M Loddon holdings Ltd is the handling agent for S.N.A.M. The company is licensed for the transportation of a range of battery types including - Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd),Nickel Metalhidryde (Ni-Mh), Lithium Ion (Li-Io) and Lead Acid batteries, that S.N.A.M. is specialized for processing. The company holds the following licenses:
- Special Waste Transfer Station
- Special Waste Carriers
Financial data :
income - outcome
There is a free market base approach established in the UK. REBAT is activated as an administrative authority, setting in fact the rules and the competences of the market. A payment of a nominal sum is required for the membership to the group (REBAT) in order to cover the cost of meetings, administration, etc. The collection / delivery charges are based on the gross weight of the consignment. Charges vary depending on the cost of recovering the metals against the actual quantities recovered.
Dissemination activities
REBAT has advised its collection targets to the UK's Department of Trade & Industry who then communicated these to the European Commission.

MANAGEMENT OF ACCUMULATORS

Country
UK
Recycling system
Free market
Recycling rates
estimated greater than 90%
Legal status of the organization
There is no organization. The system already in place achieves collection rates estimated at over 90%. This has been described as "a working but fragmented collection system, which can and does have weaknesses, particularly when the market value of lead is low" as in 1993, when the collection rate fell below an estimated 80%. There was then support from the lead industry to introduce a more formal collection system to ensure high collection rates even when the market price of lead is low.
A further difficulty now faced in Britain is that UK Waste Regulations now require documentation and a fee to be paid for battery movement (£10 for 5 or more batteries): some small scrap dealers have stopped collecting batteries. The effect of this on overall recycling rates is not known.
Even when the collection rate is over 90%, considered high by most, with an annual consumption of 100,000 t of lead in batteries in the UK, this would mean that up to 10,000 t of lead from this source is unaccounted for per annum. However, rather than being disposed of, most of this shortfall is believed to be stored in private garages etc., and should eventually enter the recycling system. There is clearly room for improvement. An organised collection scheme could improve return rates, though such a scheme would entail administration costs.
Activities
Old batteries are usually returned to garages or suppliers of new batteries, or they are separated from waste at municipal dumps and from there returned to scrap merchants who sell them to lead smelters. It was deemed unnecessary to implement a formal system of battery collection: the only change in law was to require labelling. There are several companies dealing with the collection of used batteries. For example G&P batteries Ltd. operates the UK's largest nation-wide scrap lead acid battery collection service.
Financial data:
income - outcome
There is no ecotax or surcharge. There is a tax connected to disposal to the dump. The income totally depends on L.M.E (London Metal Exchange). Economic instruments, such as a levy on batteries produced, could ensure that a reasonable price can be paid for scrap lead, even at times of low lead price on the world market; these would also be expected to improve collection rates. The lead industry would eagerly welcome any such development, because at times of low lead price, secondary production is not profitable (can even operate at a loss) and there can be shortages of batteries available for smelting.
Dissemination activities
No dissemination activities.