MP HUW IRRANCA-DAVIES REVS UP FOR THE START OF BATTERY LEGISLATION
WITH ROARY THE RACING CAR, BIG CHRIS AND FIFI
Environme nt Minister Huw Irranca-Davies was joined by children’s favourites Roary the Racing Car, Big Chris and Fifi to launch the ‘Be Positive’ battery recycling campaign.
Defra research has found that the average UK household contains 25 toys with half of these requiring batteries*. From today, UKshoppers and businesses will have new and easy ways to recycle their used batteries thanks to the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009.
People in the UK currently use over 600 million batteries every year – that’s an average of21 per household - and a staggering 97% of these batteries end up in landfill! The new EU Batteries directive aims to significantly increase UK collection and recycling of used portable batteries from the current rate of 3% to 25% by 2012, rising to at least 45% in 2016.
The new legislation means that shops and online retailers now have to offer facilities to recycle batteries. Any retailers selling more than 32kg of batteries a year (the equivalent of one pack of 4 AA batteries a day), will have to comply with new regulations and provide collection bins or facilities for recycling used batteries. Most supermarkets and many high street shops will have collection points, and will some town halls, libraries or schools.
The new legislation is a welcome boost for the environment and will encourage customers to get into the habit of taking old batteries for recycling when they go shopping. Most old batteries end up in landfill and harmful chemicals can leak into the soil. Recycling them can save some of the earth’s natural resources and save on CO2 emissions by reducing the need to use new materials. In addition, if collection targets are reached, the UK could save over 12,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2016.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Hilary Benn, said: “This new legislation will make it easier for consumers to do the right thing whilst ensuring retailers fulfil their part of the bargain. Old batteries can cause harm to the environment when they are not recycled. The new approach to disposal of batteries will help to reduce the number of batteries that now end up in landfill.”
-ENDS-
* OnePoll survey carried out on 2000 respondents in January 2010.
For more information about recycling batteries visit:
www.businesslink.gov.uk/batteries
www.direct.gov.uk/batteries - (live from 25th January)
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Environmentandgreenerliving/Wasteandrecycling/DG_180525
Cassandra Sananes
Head of PR
The Pavilion, 90 Point Pleasant, London SW18 1PP
cassandras@chapmanentertainment.co.uk
+44 (0) 870 403 0556
+ 44 (0) 870 403 0557
