Collection Target - Eucobat Position

1. Position
Paper
Collection
Targets
in
the
Battery
Directive
1. The
Battery
Directive:
actual
situation
The
battery
directive1
defines
the
‘collection
rate’
as
the
percentage
obtained
by
dividing
the
weight
of
waste
portable
batteries
and
accumulators
collected
in
a
calendar
year
by
the
average
weight
of
portable
batteries
and
accumulators
put
on
the
market
during
that
calendar
year
and
the
preceding
two
calendar
years.
According
to
this
directive,
Member
States
have
to
achieve
the
following
minimum
collection
rates:
(a)
25
%
by
26
September
2012;
(b)
45
%
by
26
September
2016.
Annex
1
of
the
Directive
gives
a
schematic
overview
of
the
reporting
calendar.
In
a
Decision2
of
2008,
the
European
Commission
defined
a
common
methodology
for
the
calculation
of
annual
sales
of
portable
batteries
to
end-­‐users.
2. Inadequacy
of
the
actual
collection
target
This
concept
of
establishing
a
collection
target
for
the
waste
volume
in
relation
to
the
volume
placed
on
the
market
originated
in
the
Directive
on
Packaging
and
Packaging
Waste.
This
methodology
seems
logical
for
packaging
waste,
given
the
very
short
time
between
the
placing
on
the
market
and
the
discarding
of
packaging
However,
this
approach
is
not
appropriate
for
(waste)
batteries.
The
lifespan
of
batteries
is
indeed
in
many
cases
much
longer
than
three
years,
so
there
is
no
strong
correlation
between
batteries
recently
put
on
the
market
and
the
waste
batteries
collected.
1
Directive
2006/66/EC
of
the
European
Parliament
and
of
the
Council
of
6
September
2006
on
batteries
and
accumulators
and
waste
batteries
and
accumulators
and
repealing
Directive
91/157/EEC
2
Commission
Decision
of
29
September
2008
establishing,
pursuant
to
Directive
2006/66/EC
of
the
European
Parliament
and
of
the
Council,
a
common
methodology
for
the
calculation
of
annual
sales
of
portable
batteries
and
accumulators
to
end-­‐users

2. This
lack
of
correlation
is
most
evident
for
the
rechargeable
batteries.
Their
lifespan
is
significant
longer
than
three
years,
in
particular
for
the
newer
chemistries
with
high
energy
density,
mainly
used
in
cordless
power
tools,
laptops
and
cell
phones.
Not
only
the
technical
lifespan
of
these
rechargeable
batteries
is
much
longer
than
3
years,
consumers
tend
to
keep
them
with
the
connected
appliance
even
after
the
appliance
has
been
replaced
(hoarding
effect).
The
impact
on
the
collection
rate
will
increase
each
year.
While
the
number
of
alkaline
/
zinc
carbon
batteries
put
on
the
market
has
decreased
with
10%
during
the
last
10
years,
the
number
of
rechargeable
lithium
batteries
put
on
the
market
has
been
multiplied
by
12
during
the
same
period,
as
shown
in
the
graph
below.
Batteries
put
on
the
market
per
chemistry
(2001=100)
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Zinc/Carbon
-­‐
Alkaline
Lithium
Primary
Button
Cells
NiCd
NiMH
Lithium
Rechargeable
There
are
no
indications
that
this
market
trend
would
change
in
the
near
future.
To
a
certain
extent,
the
same
reasoning
is
valid
for
the
primary
batteries.
Thanks
to
the
growing
capacity
of
the
batteries
put
on
the
market
and
the
increasing
energy
efficiency
of
the
appliances
they
are
used
in,
the
technical
lifespan
of
the
primary
batteries
is
rising
each
year,
and
in
more
and
more
cases
exceeding
the
three-­‐year
period.
Furthermore,
given
the
extension
of
the
expiration
date
of
the
batteries
(up
to
7
years),
an
important
part
of
the
batteries
remain
in
the
drawer
for
a
long
time
before
they
are
effectively
used.

3. The
conclusion
that
a
collection
target
for
the
waste
volume
in
relation
to
the
volume
placed
on
the
market
is
not
appropriate
for
batteries
is
supported
by
research
in
several
countries,
including
household
waste
analyses
and
studies
on
the
stocks
of
batteries
held
by
households.
3. Alternative
methodologies
A
collection
target
can
only
be
adequate
if
it
is
related
to
the
quantities
of
waste
available
for
collection.
This
concept
has
already
been
integrated
in
the
new
WEEE
Directive3,
where
a
methodology
for
calculating
collection
rates
based
on
WEEE
generated
should
be
developed
in
the
near
future.
This
methodology
allows
taking
into
account
the
differing
life
cycles
of
the
batteries
and
of
the
appliances
they
are
used
in,
as
well
as
the
market
situation
and
saturation.
It
requires
however
the
obligation
for
all
actors
to
report
to
the
national
authorities
and
the
obligation
for
the
member
states
to
monitor
all
waste
streams.
The
producers
remain
responsible
for
accepting
all
waste
batteries
handed
over
to
them.
4. About
Eucobat
Eucobat
is
the
European
association
of
national
collection
schemes
for
batteries.
They
assure
that
all
waste
batteries
are
collected
and
recycled
in
an
ecological
sound
way,
and
contribute
this
way
to
a
better
environment.
Eucobat
aisbl
October
2012
3
Directive
2012/19/EU
of
the
European
Parliament
and
of
the
Council
of
4
July
2012
on
waste
electrical
and
electronic
equipment
(WEEE)