Consumer campaign to collect li-ion batteries separately during the Week of Safety within the waste sector
A campaign will be launched to encourage consumers and companies to hand in loose batteries and electrical devices with li-ion batteries.
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Waste management contribution for bicycle batteries declared generally binding
According to the Batteries and Accumulators (Management) Decree 2008, all manufacturers and importers who market e-bikes and bicycle batteries in the Netherlands for the first time have a statutory duty and responsibility to take them back and recycle them. To arrange this efficiently, the manufacturers and importers of e-bikes and bicycle batteries set up a collective in 2015: Stichting EPAC, with Stichting Stibat Services (Stibat) as implementing organization. As of July 1, 2022, the collective collection and processing of bicycle batteries is subject to a so-called generally binding declaration (Dutch abbreviation: AVV). This means that all manufacturers and importers who market e-bikes and bicycle batteries in the Netherlands for the first time must pay a waste management contribution to Stichting EPAC.
Laws and regulations
It is fair that every manufacturer and importer contributes to collection and recycling. But many businesses appear not to be aware of the laws and regulations surrounding batteries. All manufacturers and importers of e-bikes and bicycle batteries pay Stichting EPAC a management fee for each bicycle battery. That money is used to maintain a nationwide network of collection points and there is a collection service with which the bicycle batteries are collected responsibly and recycled in accordance with laws and regulations. End users are also actively informed about the importance of separate collection. The execution of all these tasks lies with Stibat.
Fair cost sharing
More than 125 manufacturers and importers have already joined Stichting EPAC. Of course, bicycle batteries from businesses not affiliated with Stichting EPAC do end up in the collection process. To keep matters fair, the collection and processing system has now been established as a standard thanks to the AVV. Everyone who markets e-bikes and bicycle batteries in the Netherlands for the first time therefore pays, so the costs of collection and recycling are distributed fairly.
Contributing to collection system
This will be actively enforced from July 1. Businesses that do not yet contribute to the costs of the system have the option of joining the collective of Stichting EPAC. They can contact the implementing organization Stibat about this. Nothing will change for businesses that are already affiliated with Stichting EPAC. After all, they already meet the requirements of the AVV.
Want to know more?
Want to know more about the AVV or about the laws and regulations surrounding bicycle batteries? Please contact Harm Noorman of Stibat on 079 363 20 90 or at [email protected].
