Fast, simple and competent: 1,400 producers already logged in Battery Act register | Umweltbundesamt

The objective of the Battery Act which entered into force on 1 December 2009 is to ensure that battery producers assume responsibility for take-back and disposal of their products. The register creates the necessary transparency among producers and distributors and boosts the economy’s self-control. UBA has implemented the BattG register as an online e-government solution that cuts red tape. Producers as defined by the law must announce their participation on the market through the UBA online portal, a procedure which is free of charge. Data is forwarded to UBA, stored electronically and managed in electronic files.

By instituting prosection of infractions as of 1 March 2010, UBA is lending support to competitive schemes of product responsibility for batteries. This is to ensure that all responsible producers and distributors do in fact take on proper disposal of batteries and to effectively exclude any freeloaders.

Consumers may continue to return spent batteries and accumulators with their merchants, who will see to proper and environmentally friendly disposal. Collection bins for free collection of spent batteries are located wherever batteries are for sale.  Used batteries may not be disposed of in household waste as their pollutants can burden the environment and health. Moreover, valuable raw materials would be lost.