The European Parliament has thrown out proposals to increase recycling targets set out in the forthcoming EU Battery Directive. The second reading of the Directive, which seeks to make battery manufacturers responsible for collecting and recycling waste batteries, saw MEPs holding fast to recycling targets agreed by Member States.

The decision means that the collection rate targets will remain at 25 per cent of portable batteries within six years of the Directive’s implementation and 45 per cent within ten years, in line with the recommendations of the European Council of Ministers.
In other areas, the Parliament agreed with the Council for bans on batteries containing more than 0.0005% of mercury and 0.002% of cadmium. A proposal for an additional ban on batteries containing more than 0.004% of lead was dropped.
For the UK, the government is thought to consider that to achieve a 25% recycling rate virtually every possible collection route, from schools to kerbside collections will be needed. Costs of such schemes will have to be met by battery producers as the directive is a producer responsibility measure.

Source: www.letsrecycle.com (accessed 05/01/06)

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