Collection Target - Eucobat Position
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Transcript of Collection Target - Eucobat Position
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
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)
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.
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200
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2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Zinc/Carbon -‐ Alkaline
Lithium Primary
Button Cells
NiCd
NiMH
Lithium Rechargeable
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)