This week marks the beginning of a new era for battery manufacturers and retailers in the United Kingdom. Starting this week new laws go into effect which make it mandatory for retailers and producers of batteries to offer their customers free recycling and in the case of those who make automotive and industrial batteries they will also be required to offer free collection as well. As only about three percent of batteries are currently recycled the government hopes that by putting the responsibility on the shoulders of manufacturers it should be easier to regulate and thus the recycling rates for batteries should go up. This should offer a positive way to increase recycling rates and divert more waste from landfills, but there are some in the industry who say that these new initiatives could eventually drive up the cost of batteries.
The directive laid out by the European Union requires that all of the member nations get their battery recycling rates to at least ten percent by the end of the year and up to twenty five percent by the end of 2012. Countries who fail to meet these goals will face heavy fines, fines that will eventually trickle down to the consumer. If governments are fined for failing to meet these goals then they will pass this cost onto the manufacturers and retailers who will then likely raise the cost of batteries, so that even though consumers are not fully responsible for recycling they could still bear the brunt of the cost.
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