Health & Safety Update: Recycle the batteries!
A new European Directive coming into force on
26th September will require businesses to dispose of
batteries separately from their general waste.
Directive 2006/66/EC recognises that batteries contain hazardous
metals and need to be disposed of accordingly, meaning that
disposing of batteries in normal landfill sites will be
prohibited.
The directive applies to all kinds of batteries including mobile
phone batteries. Businesses will be asked to put them in a battery
box and that box will be collected by a waste contractor or a waste
management company and disposed of through an appropriate approved
organisation.
Businesses need to start adopting this procedure as of September
this year and then be seen to be actively promoting it during its
first 12 months. After that the directive requires the UK and every
other EU member state to be recycling a minimum of 25% of their
batteries by 2012 and a minimum of 45% by 2016.
Batteries have always been treated as a hazardous waste item,
but now measures are being tightened up as Governments realise they
simply cannot be allowed go to landfill.