Environmental guidance for your business in Northern Ireland & Scotland
Different types of business are affected by batteries regulations including:
You are a producer of batteries if you manufacture or import batteries or appliances containing batteries and place them on the UK market for the first time. Examples of producers include:
Examples of businesses that aren't producers include those that:
For information on how to comply with producer obligations, see the pages in this guide on Industrial and automotive battery producer responsibilities and Portable battery producer responsibilities.
The regulations place obligations on distributors, ie those supplying portable batteries on a professional basis to end users. If you supply 32 kilograms or more of portable batteries to end users per year, you must comply with the distributor requirements. This includes retailers that supply batteries to consumers and/or businesses. If you only supply batteries contained within equipment - rather than separate batteries - you do not have to take back waste batteries from end users.
Examples of distributors include:
'Supply' includes selling, providing and/or making available portable batteries to end users.
If you are unsure whether you supply 32 kilograms or more of batteries you can use an online battery weight calculator on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) website.
For more information, see the page in this guideline on Portable battery distributor and retailer responsibilities.
Be aware that it is possible for you to be both a producer and a distributor.
Battery users have no obligations under the batteries regulations. However, they should dispose of their waste batteries in an environmentally sound way. For example, the disposal of whole, untreated industrial and automotive batteries in landfill or by incineration is banned. See the page in this guide on How end users can recycle waste batteries.
If you are involved in the treatment, recycling or export of waste batteries for recycling you must comply with a number of obligations. For more information, see the pages in this guide on Treating or recycling waste batteries and Exporting waste batteries.
The Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) has produced guidance on the regulations.
GOV.UK: Producer responsibilities – materials, labelling, design and enforcement
GOV.UK: Guidance for battery suppliers and retailers
Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) Regulations
Businesses affected by the batteries regulations
Identifying different battery types
Substance restrictions and battery labelling
Industrial and automotive battery producers responsibilites
Portable battery producers responsibilities
Portable batteries: distributor and retailer responsibilities
How end users can recycle batteries
Treating or recycling waste batteries
SEPA Special Waste Consignment Notes – updated position, The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is now accepting special waste consignment notes (SWCNs) by email only.
DAERA Waste Policy Tracker, The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has published a Waste policy tracker to stay informed of waste policy developments.
View our latest videos & subscribe to our channel.
Free monthly email newsletter with environmental updates for Northern Ireland and Scotland