"Producer Responsibility" For Batteries Is Arriving In The UK

EC law has been introduced in recent years to tackle growing streams of waste, for example waste electrical and electronic equipment, end-of-life vehicles and packaging waste.  

The laws dealing with these waste streams share common themes. Among other things, they place the lion's share of the responsibility for dealing with the waste stream on the original producers of the products and materials that are being disposed of rather than on the end users actually throwing the products and materials away. The term used for this is "producer responsibility". In particular, the laws place obligations on producers in respect of the labelling and content of their products and materials and in respect of waste management and recycling once the products and materials reach the end of their lives.