The European Union (Batteries and Accumulators) Regulations 2014, as amended, came into effect on 30th July 2014 and impose obligations on people who produce and distribute batteries and accumulators. If not disposed of properly, and sent to a normal landfill, batteries can release dangerous heavy metals into the environment such as cadmium, nickel and lead. For this reason they must be recycled correctly to avoid this happening.
Obligations for Retailers
All retailers selling batteries / accumulators are obligated to take back waste batteries from members of the public free of charge. Take-back is on a one for zero basis (no purchase necessary). However a retailer is not obligated to take back waste batteries that are leaking.
All retailers selling batteries / accumulators must display relevant information notices. Refer to www.weee-enforcement.ie . Retailers can only transfer waste batteries on to authorised waste collectors, which include WEEE Ireland (an approved collection compliance scheme, which covers the South Dublin County Council functional area) or a permitted waste collector acting on behalf of the battery / accumulator producer.
All retailers selling batteries / accumulators need to ensure that they are registered annually with their local authority (download registration form ) or with the approved registration bodies, WEEE Ireland http://www.weeeireland.ie/ or ERP http://www.erp-recycling.ie/ . However retailers only selling portable batteries (i.e. AAA, AA, Cell C, Cell D, PP3 and PP9) are exempt from registering.
Retailers selling automotive or industrial batteries and not already registered under the WEEE Regulations are required to register with their local authority and pay a fee of €200 annually, or register with WEEE Ireland, which covers the South Dublin County Council area.
Obligations of Producers
All producers of batteries / accumulators are obligated to register with the WEEE Register Society at http://www.weeeregister.ie .
Under the Regulations, producers of batteries and accumulators are obligated to finance any net costs arising from the environmentally sound management of waste batteries deposited at collection points.
Members of the Public
Members of the public must not dispose of waste batteries in the domestic bin. They can deposit their waste batteries at collection points on the premises of all battery retailers once the waste batteries are equivalent to the type which is sold on the premises. Waste batteries and accumulators can also be brought to the Ballymount Civic Amenity Centre.
Note: This page is a guide only. It does not purport to provide, and should not be relied upon as, a legal interpretation of the regulations. South Dublin County Council advises you to read the Regulations in full.
The full legislation can be downloaded at
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2014/si/283/made/en/print