UKnisr/2009/157Enacted

The Waste Batteries and Accumulators (Charges) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009

Jurisdiction:
United Kingdom
Type:
EPR · Budget
Last action:
Jan 1, 2009
Batteries

What this law has produced

45% headline target -> ~22% real portable-battery collection

real portable-battery collection vs the 45% headline target (lead-acid loophole)

These Northern Ireland Charges Regulations set the producer fees that fund the UK-wide Waste Batteries and Accumulators EPR regime, whose headline requirement is a 45% portable-battery collection target. In practice the regime has been documented to backfire through a lead-acid 'loophole': in 2020 just 1,368 tonnes of portable lead-acid batteries were placed on the UK market yet 11,471 tonnes were reported recycled, while 39,498 tonnes of non-lead portable batteries were placed on the market but only 6,257 tonnes collected — meaning already-valuable lead batteries were used to hit the target while other chemistries went uncollected. Industry (WasteCare) estimated the UK was really collecting only ~22% of portable batteries against the 45% headline, a distortion estimated to cost industry and consumers over £30 million a year; Defra revised classification guidance in 2021 and launched a reform consultation in 2022, but the underlying regulations were left unchanged.

Produced by a program the law funds or incentivizesAs of Dec 7, 2021Source: LARAC / letsrecycle.com ↗

Next steps for producers

Confirm your obligations with GOV.UK — Producer responsibility and track its implementing rules

Applies toSmall producers, battery compliance schemes, battery treatment operators, and battery exporters as defined in the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/890)

Obligations under this law
  • ·Small producers must register and pay an annual administrative charge of £30
  • ·Small producers must comply with obligations under Part 2 of the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009
  • ·Small producers must provide accurate information under regulation 13 of the 2009 Regulations
GOV.UK — Producer responsibility →

No designated program action is recorded for this measure yet — treat the above as the general obligation and verify against the source text.

Establishes administrative charges to fund EPR compliance scheme registration, monitoring, and enforcement for waste batteries and accumulators under the 2009 Regulations framework; charges support the operational infrastructure of battery producer responsibility.
Covered Products
  • ·waste portable batteries
  • ·waste automotive batteries
  • ·waste industrial batteries
  • ·accumulators
Producer Obligations
  • ·Small producers must register and pay an annual administrative charge of £30
  • ·Small producers must comply with obligations under Part 2 of the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009
  • ·Small producers must provide accurate information under regulation 13 of the 2009 Regulations
  • ·Battery compliance schemes must pay an application charge of £17,000 upon application
  • ·Battery compliance schemes must pay an annual subsistence charge of £118,000 plus £680 per scheme member
  • ·Battery treatment operators must pay an application charge per treatment site (£500 if undertaking given, otherwise £2,590)
  • ·Battery exporters must pay an application charge (£500 if undertaking given, otherwise £2,590)
  • ·Approved battery treatment operators or exporters who give the reduced-charge undertaking and subsequently exceed the volume limits must pay the balance of the higher charge from the date the limit was exceeded
  • ·Battery treatment operators or exporters seeking extension of approval must pay an extension charge of £110
Exemptions
  • ·Battery treatment operators and exporters who give an undertaking to issue batteries evidence notes for not more than 15 tonnes of waste portable batteries and accept not more than 150 tonnes of waste automotive and industrial batteries qualify for the reduced application charge of £500 per site
Key Deadlines
May 5, 2009other: Regulations come into operation; all charges become applicable
Producer Definition
Small producers, battery compliance schemes, battery treatment operators, and battery exporters as defined in the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/890)
Fee Structure
Flat: Small producers: £30 annual administrative charge. Battery compliance schemes: £17,000 application charge; annual subsistence charge of £118,000 plus £680 per scheme member. Battery treatment operators: application charge of £500 per site (if undertaking to treat/export not more than 15 tonnes waste portable batteries and accept not more than 150 tonnes waste automotive and industrial batteries) or £2,590 per site otherwise. Battery exporters: application charge of £500 (if same undertaking given) or £2,590 otherwise. Extension of approval charge: £110 for approved battery treatment operators or exporters. If undertaking given at reduced rate and volume limits subsequently exceeded, the balance up to the full £2,590 charge becomes payable from the date the limit was exceeded.
Enforcement
Department of the Environment (Northern Ireland): Approved battery treatment operators or exporters who exceed volume limits after giving the reduced-charge undertaking become liable to pay the balance of the higher charge to the Department of the Environment from the date the limit was exceeded
Preemption Notes
These Regulations apply specifically to Northern Ireland; they implement charges under the UK-wide Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 (S.I. 2009/890) for Northern Ireland only
Compliance Dimensions
Fees30 GBP Flat — small producer annual administrative charge; 17000 GBP Flat — battery compliance scheme application charge; 118000 GBP Flat — battery compliance scheme annual subsistence charge (base)

“The charge in relation to small producers (which is required to be paid under regulation 13(2)(d)(ii) of the 2009 Regulations) is, annually, £30 in respect of any administrative costs incurred in the exercise of functions connected with— ... The charges in relation to battery compliance schemes are— a an application charge (which is required to be paid under regulation 47(5)(c) of the 2009 Regulations) of £17,000 for each battery compliance scheme; b annually, a subsistence charge (which is required to be paid under regulation 52(2)(h) of the 2009 Regulations) for each battery compliance scheme of— i £118,000; and ii £680 for each scheme member. ... an extension of approval charge (which is required to be paid under regulation 62(1)(c) of the 2009 Regulations) of £110. ... if the applicant gives the undertaking in paragraph (3), £500 for each site in respect of which the application is made; otherwise, £2,590 for each site in respect of which the application is made;”

PenaltiesPenalties for non-compliance

“that battery treatment operator or exporter is from the date the limit was exceeded liable to pay the Department of the Environment the balance of the charge which would have been payable had the undertaking not been given.”

PRO StructureCompetitive Pros

“The charges in relation to battery compliance schemes are— a an application charge (which is required to be paid under regulation 47(5)(c) of the 2009 Regulations) of £17,000 for each battery compliance scheme; b annually, a subsistence charge (which is required to be paid under regulation 52(2)(h) of the 2009 Regulations) for each battery compliance scheme of— i £118,000; and ii £680 for each scheme member.”

Tracking dates like these across a whole portfolio of jurisdictions is what Upcoming Deadlines does.

View Source ↗

The original source page moved — this is the updated link.

Full bill text

Citation and commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Waste Batteries and Accumulators (Charges) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009, and shall come into operation on 5th May 2009.

Interpretation

2

1
In these regulations—

“the 2009 Regulations ” means the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 and expressions used in these Regulations which are also used in the 2009 Regulations have the same meaning as in the 2009 Regulations.

2

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

Charges (small producers)

3

The charge in relation to small producers (which is required to be paid under regulation 13(2)(d)(ii) of the 2009 Regulations) is, annually, £30 in respect of any administrative costs incurred in the exercise of functions connected with—

a

registration of small producers (including amending the register maintained under regulation 76 of the 2009 Regulations);

b

monitoring the compliance of small producers with their obligations under Part 2 of the 2009 Regulations;

c

monitoring the accuracy of information provided by small producers under regulation 13 of the 2009 Regulations;

d

publishing information in relation to small producers under regulation 81 of the 2009 Regulations.

Charges (battery compliance schemes)

4

The charges in relation to battery compliance schemes are—

a

an application charge (which is required to be paid under regulation 47(5)(c) of the 2009 Regulations) of £17,000 for each battery compliance scheme;

b

annually, a subsistence charge (which is required to be paid under regulation 52(2)(h) of the 2009 Regulations) for each battery compliance scheme of—

i

£118,000; and

ii

£680 for each scheme member.

Charges (battery treatment operators and exporters)

5

1
The charges in relation to battery treatment operators and battery exporters are—

a

the application charge (which is required to be paid under regulation 58(c) of the 2009 Regulations) set out in paragraph (2);

b

an extension of approval charge (which is required to be paid under regulation 62(1)(c) of the 2009 Regulations) of £110.

2

The application charge is—

a

for an applicant who is a battery treatment operator—

i

if the applicant gives the undertaking in paragraph (3), £500 for each site in respect of which the application is made;

ii

otherwise, £2,590 for each site in respect of which the application is made;

b

for an applicant who is an exporter—

i

if the applicant gives the undertaking in paragraph (3), £500;

ii

otherwise, £2,590.

3

The undertaking referred to in paragraph (2) is an undertaking, in respect of the relevant approval period, to—

a

issue batteries evidence notes in respect of not more than 15 tonnes of waste portable batteries; and

b

accept not more than 150 tonnes of waste automotive and industrial batteries for treatment and recycling.

4

If an approved battery treatment operator or an approved battery exporter—

a

gives the undertaking in paragraph (3);

b

pays the charge set out in paragraph (2)(a)(i) or 2(b)(i); and

c

subsequently exceeds either of the limits in respect of which the undertaking was given,

that battery treatment operator or exporter is from the date the limit was exceeded liable to pay the Department of the Environment the balance of the charge which would have been payable had the undertaking not been given.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of the Environment on 7th April 2009.

Wesley Shannon
A senior officer of the
Department of the Environment

The Department of Finance and Personnel consents to regulations 3, 4 and 5.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on 7th April 2009.

Jack Layberry
A senior officer of the
Department of Finance and Personnel

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These regulations prescribe the charges to be paid to the Department of the Environment by small producers, battery compliance schemes, battery treatment operators and battery exporters under the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009.
The charges are:
a

an annual administrative charge of £30 for a small producer;

b

an application charge of £17,000 for a battery compliance scheme;

c

an annual subsistence charge of £118,000 for a battery compliance scheme plus £680 for each scheme member;

d

a charge of £110 for an approved battery exporter to extend approval to an additional site to which the exporter proposes to export waste batteries and accumulators;

e

an annual application charge of £500 or £2,590 (depending on the amount of waste batteries and accumulators treated) for a battery treatment operator per treatment site;

f

an annual application charge of £500 or £2,590 (depending on the amount of waste batteries and accumulators treated) for a battery exporter.

1972 c. 68

1973 c. 51

S.I. 2007 No. 3471

S.I. 2009/890

1954 c.33 (N.I.)

Full text as ingested. Verify against the official source above.

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