BatteryBack is fully charged and operating. Morrisons and Bradford Metropolitan District Council have launched a joint BatteryBack initiative at stores, schools, public buildings and civic amenity sites (see story below) and more than 200 BatteryCans have now been ordered by retailers, local authorities and large commercial premises.

As a result – and following the Government’s indication of its thinking in relation to the new Battery Recycling Regulations – we have now ordered a further 1,000 BatteryCans for immediate distribution.

Our www.batteryback.org website already gives the locations of more than 1,000 free collection points for all types of batteries. If one enters one’s postcode, the website identifies the locations of the ten nearest public access collection points. Currently, these are mainly civic amenity sites, but the list will be updated as more sites are opened.

Britain is obliged to increase battery recycling from the current level of 2.8% a year to 25% by 2012. This means that the UK will need more than 80,000 collection points throughout the country, according to our calculations.

WasteCare is at present the only recycling company in the UK offering the free BatteryBack solution. Consequently, we aim to open at least 2,000 trial sites by this October, when the Government’s draft Regulations are expected to be published. Thereafter, the roll-out will be speeded up.