A new directive outlined by the European Union will force the producers of batteries to get involved in the recycling of the products they make. Duracell, one of the largest producers of batteries in the world, has recently signed an agreement to help fund and promote battery recycling. Duracell is waiting for the approval of the Environment Agency to join the battery recycling scheme set up by ERP. Under the new recycling laws of the EU, every company that produces more than one tonne of batteries is responsible to join a community scheme for recycling them.
Each obligated battery producer will be forced to join a scheme by October 15, or be subject to penalties by the EU. The directors of ERP were elated to get a commitment from Duracell, which they think will help promote their various recycling schemes around the United Kingdom. They view Duracell as the beginning of what could be a recycling revolution in the UK.
Duracell, which is owned by Proctor and Gamble, recognized the challenges of the new directives and saw ERP as a company whose philosophy most aligned with their own. Duracell also added that they are confident the scheme will be approved and that as an industry leader it was their duty to get involved quickly. Duracell currently produces over half of the batteries found in the United Kingdom.
The laws don’t only aim to get battery producers involved in recycling, but also the stores in which batteries are sold. Distributor and retailers who sell more than thirty two kilograms of batteries per year will be forced to offer free in store recycling for used portable batteries.
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