Batteries

The macro battery and accumulator tonnage reported by DEFRA for the UK in 2020 was 1,213,111 tonnes .

Picture of portable waste batteries - source sisw.org

Macro Tonnages

The most recent information published by DEFRA is summarized below, showing 1,213,111 tonnes of batteries and accumulators generated in the UK in 2020 and is part of the broader tonnage summarised in UK Waste Tonnage:

Overview

Manufacturers, importers, distributors and retailers have an Extended Producer Responsibility for Batteries in order to control their levels of mercury, cadmium and lead, assist their recycling through clear labelling and ensure that on disposal they are properly treated and recycled, rather than being sent for incineration or to landfill, both of which are illegal

Categories

The Regulations cover all batteries, regardless of whether they are in products and divided into:

• A portable battery (sealed, weighs less than 4kg, not industrial or automotive, with a collection rate target of 45%)
• An industrial battery (designed exclusively for industrial or professional purposes, used as a source of power for propulsion in an electric or hybrid vehicle, unsealed but is not automotive, sealed but is not portable)
• An automotive battery (used as automotive starter, lighting or ignition power)

Guidance was issued in August 2022 on classifying portable and industrial batteries by the EA.

The macro picture does not breakdown into the respective types of batteries but the National Packaging Waste Database reports the data for portable batteries and the performance against the UK collection rate target of 45%. In the most recently reported year 2023 for portable batteries the UK (published June 2024):

• 39,978 tonnes of portable batteries were placed on the market by 627 scheme members
• 19,085 tonnes of portable waste batteries were collected:
  • 12,220 tonnes were lead/acid batteries (77%)
  • 484 tonnes were nickel/cadmium batteries (2%)
  • 6,381 tonnes were other types of batteries (21%)
• 18,967 tonnes were delivered for treatment and battery evidence were accepted for a similar tonnage
• 45.0% UK collection rate achieved (in some previous years this target has not been met, for example in 2017 a 44.89% figure was achieved.

The macro numbers are therefore distorted by the broader category that it represents.

Local Authority Tonnage

The following headers below only capture significant tonnage collected and reported by local authorities through WasteDataFlow.

Automotive Batteries

Below is a list of local authorities that sends more than 5000 tonnes of this material to a single waste operator.

Authority	Stream	Facility	Operator	Address	Material	Tonnes	Reporting Period
Merseyside WDA (MBC)	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	S Norton & Co Ltd	Bankfield House, Bankfield Mill, Regent Road, Liverpool, Merseyside	Automotive batteries	17,486.76	Apr21 - Mar22
Devon County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Sims Group Uk Ltd	7 Christow Road, Marsh Barton Ind Est, Exeter, Devon	Automotive batteries	10,490.73	Apr21 - Mar22
Swindon Borough Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Jeremy Mark Freeth	Kingshill Recycling Centre, Cricklade, Swindon, Wiltshire	Automotive batteries	8,326.98	Apr21 - Mar22
Somerset Waste Partnership	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	J C Thomas & Sons Ltd	Thomas Way, Glastonbury, Somerset	Automotive batteries	7,336.43	Apr21 - Mar22
East Sussex County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	M D J Light Bros ( Scrap Processors ) Ltd	Greystone Quarry, Southerham, Lewes, East Sussex	Automotive batteries	6,150.33	Apr21 - Mar22
Essex County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Total Waste Management Ltd	Randalls Works, Woodside, Thornwood Common, Epping, Essex	Automotive batteries	5,496.87	Apr21 - Mar22
Hertfordshire County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Nationwide Metal Recycling Ltd	Bridge Works, Cadwell Lane, Hitchin, Hertfordshire	Automotive batteries	5,481.33	Apr21 - Mar22
Gloucestershire County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Smiths ( Gloucester ) Ltd	The Old Airfield, Moreton Valence, Gloucestershire	Automotive batteries	5,161.63	Apr21 - Mar22

Post Consumer, Non-automotive Batteries

Below is a list of local authorities that sends more than 1000 tonnes of this material to a single waste operator.

Authority	Stream	Facility	Operator	Address	Material	Tonnes	Reporting Period
Norfolk County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Wiser Recycling Ltd	St lves Resource Recovery Facility, Caxton Road, St lves, Cornwall	Post consumer, non automotive batteries	4,205.06	Apr21 - Mar22
Kent County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Ling Metals Ltd	Parham Rd, Riverdale Industrial Esta, Canterbury, Kent	Post consumer, non automotive batteries	3,285.40	Apr21 - Mar22
Lincolnshire County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Sims Group U K Ltd	South Dock, Westway Road, Newport Docks, Newport, Gwent	Post consumer, non automotive batteries	2,323.41	Apr21 - Mar22
Ceredigion County Council	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	L A S Waste Ltd	L A S Waste, Tregaron Road, Lampeter, Ceredigion	Post consumer, non automotive batteries	1,675.12	Apr21 - Mar22
Bromley LB	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Multiple destinations	Multiple	Post consumer, non automotive batteries	1,500.94	Apr21 - Mar22
East Ayrshire	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Not Available	Not Available	Post consumer, non automotive batteries	1,132.09	Jan21 - Dec21
Angus	Source segregated recyclate	Reprocessor - recycling (qu19)	Not Available	Not Available	Post consumer, non automotive batteries	1,089.12	Jan21 - Dec21