The move represents a return to the drawing board for the European Commission, and effectively erases a draft directive presented by the environment directorate almost two years ago. Progress on the dossier stalled due to differences within the commission over the treatment of nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) rechargeable batteries.
The new consultation paper is brief and asks for stakeholders’ input on three key issues by the end of April. These are: collection targets, recycling targets and cadmium. Three or four options for each are being tabled.
Three target ranges are proposed for battery collection rates: 30-40%, 60-70% and 70-80%. Car hp 371785-001 battery,hp 372772-001 battery would have a separate target of anywhere between 70% and 100%. The three proposed target ranges for battery recycling rates vary between 45-55% and 65-75%. Proposed car battery recycling targets are slightly higher still.
In addition, the directorate is seeking views on the introduction of producer responsibility for spent batteries, with free take-back along the lines of the new WEEE or electroscrap directive.
Finally, the paper sets out several possibilities for regulating Ni-Cd batteries, including separate collection and recycling targets ranging between 60-90% and 50-80% respectively, and a ban on cadmium where commercially viable substitutes are available. There might also be a separate cadmium recovery target if Ni-Cd hp 398876-001 battery,hp 417066-001 battery are not banned.
