MEPs Call For Strict Recycling Scheme For Batteries Throughout EU

The European Parliament adopted at first reading clear targets for recycling of batteries and accumulators throughout the EU. The Parliament adopted stricter limits for both recycling and recovery of used batteries and accumulators EU-wide. It is now for the Council to have its say - according to codecision.

Legislators are demanding a collection rate of 50 percent of the national annual sales of portable batteries instead of a figure of 160 grams per inhabitant per year as proposed by the Commission, which would in practice have meant a collection rate of 40 percent. The Parliament says the collection targets should be amended to percentage targets in order to better reflect the level of consumption, which varies throughout the EU.

The Parliament also is seeking to limit the use of cadmium, lead and mercury in batteries wherever possible. It is calling for governments to prohibit sales of all batteries or accumulators containing more than 5 parts per million of mercury by weight, 40 ppm of lead, and/or 20 ppm of cadmium.

A list of exemptions will be provided for applications where the use of these heavy metals is unavoidable - in other words, where no substitutes exist. But MEPs say the list should be reviewed to ensure that it keeps up with latest technological developments, for example if the use of these metals becomes avoidable through the emergence of alternatives.