The Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 states batteries that can be carried by an “average natural person without difficulty” are deemed portable if they are not already classified as automotive or industrial.
Britain has been recycling more portable lead acid batteries than it produces. Following a two year consultation period, Government guidance is changing. As soon as the 1st January 2016, Defra is expected to limit the weight threshold for portable batteries to 4Kg. This will reduce available evidence by over 4,000 tonnes per annum, just as we hit the 45% threshold for battery recycling.
As a nation, we need to increase the recycling rate of domestic batteries or we risk missing the UK’s recycling target. To see what impact this may have on you, visit www.batteryback.org.
