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The Environment and Recreation Directorate is responsible for the delivery of the following services: Water &  Drainage (on behalf of Irish Water), Waste Management Waste Operations and Recreation & Sport . Our approach to care for the Environment is based on the principle of sustainable development i.e. “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Cork City Council, in its role as a provider of services such as waste collection, recycling facilities, water and drainage can undertake measures to protect the environment we live in, nevertheless there is a duty on everybody to make their contribution in the area of environmental care.

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Waste Battery Regulations

European Union (Batteries and Accumulators) ( Amendment)Regulations 2014 ( S.I. No. 283 of 2014 ) came into effect on 30^th of July 2014 they follow on from the waste Management(Batteries and Accumulators) Regulations 2008 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 battery / accumulator retailers need to ensure that they are registered annually with their local authority (download registration form ) or with WEEE Ireland / ERP (approved registration bodies)

NOTE:  Retailers selling WEEE and registered with Cork City Council under the WEE Regulations are also deemed registered under the Batteries and Accumulators Regulations, 2008.

Retailers only selling portable batteries (i.e. AAA,AA, Cell C, Cell D, PP3 and PP9) are not required to register but are still obligated to provide free take-back facilities for batteries of the same type which they sell.  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 €20 annually, or register with WEEE Ireland, which covers the Cork City Council area.

Registered retailers are obligated to provide take-back facilities free of charge.  Waste batteries need not have been purchased at their premises.  The facility should be conveniently located and appropriate notices put in place. Retailers can only transfer waste batteries on to authorised waste collectors, which include WEEE Ireland (an approved collection compliance scheme, Kinsale Road Civic Amenity site (once prior arrangements have been made with the site operator) or a permitted waste collector acting on behalf of the battery / accumulator producer.  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.

An information note for Retailers is provided on the Department of the Environment's website.

Members of the public 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 Kinsale road Civic Amenity site. Waste batteries and accumulators should never be disposed of in household bins.

Queries

For further details, or if you have any queries on the regulations, contact the Enforcement Section in Cork City Council on (021) 492 4299 / 492 4533 or email Email: environment@corkcity.ie

Legislation

Waste Management (Batteries and Accumulators) (Amendment) Regulations 2014


Links

http://www.environ.ie%20-%20department%20of%20the%20environment/

http://www.epa.ie/

 www.weeeireland.ie - European Recycling Platform

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. Cork City Council advises you to read the Regulations in full.