Waste batteries which are not managed appropriately may harm the environment considerably due to their heavy metal content. Therefore, the Federal Environment Ministry welcomes the fact that in future all batteries will have to be collected separately throughout Europe and that corresponding collection targets have been laid down. This measure effectively prevents harmful substances from waste batteries being introduced into the environment.
On 26 September 2006 the new EU Directive on batteries, which provides that EU-wide all waste batteries will have to be collected and recovered separately from household waste in future, was promulgated. The German Battery Ordinance has to be amended according to the provisions of the EU Directive by 26 September 2008.
The new Directive sets collection targets of 25 % and 45 % of the average sales figures for the previous three years for 2012 and 2016 respectively. In Germany as well this will be a challenge for producers, traders and consumers in the foreseeable future. So far approximately 35 % of the batteries placed on the market in Germany are collected separately.
Shops, and also municipal facilities, have been offering the possibility to return waste batteries free of charge for a long time in Germany. From now on it is the task of the industry and consumers to contribute actively to the sound management of valuable resources and to improving the environment by putting an even greater emphasis on collecting waste batteries.
Furthermore, in addition to the ban of 2000 on batteries containing mercury, a ban on another heavy metal is introduced by the new EU Directive: when the national provisions implementing the Directive enter into force it will no longer be permissible to use cadmium in portable batteries.