Recommendation 110

The Committee heard that current Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 do not cover battery reuse and that there is a lack of regulatory clarity around battery reuse for energy storage products as well as old batteries being sold privately online. We recommend that Defra, as part of their upcoming review, develop regulations that support authorised reuse, creating equivalence with similar EU provisions and clarify when a battery is a “product” and when it is classified as “waste”, including stipulating who bears responsibility at each stage to ensure that batteries are covered by appropriate regulations at each stage of the battery’s life.