According to recent figures published by the Environment Agency the UK’s 6 battery compliance schemes have collected just 8.58% of waste portable batteries in the first quarter of 2010. This figure is below the 10% target set for the year as a whole.

There are currently many questions being asked about the amount of publicity needed to encourage the general public to recycle more batteries. The coalition government is cutting back on publicity campaigns with Defra’s Christmas 2009 campaign being its 1st and last. Unfortunately many battery schemes look like they will have to promote on their own with only a little support from retailers.

Battery recycling rules started on January 1st 2010 and require battery distributors / retailers to collect 10% of the batteries they put out on the market in 2009. The figures that have been collected for the first quarter of this year as being seen as tricky to base forecasts on how the rest of the year will turn out. However some in the sector think that the chances of the UK hitting the targets that have been set by the EU batteries directive is increasing unlikely.

Batteries Project Manager at the Environment Agency, Bob Mead said “I am not disappointed by the figures. One set of data is insufficient to make predictions for the year.” He added “The government in its impact assessment suggested historic recycling rates of 2-3% a year for portable batteries, so 8% in the first quarter of 2010 can’t be a bad start.”

According to the Environment Agency the UK is on track to meet its 2010 portable battery recycling target.

The 10% target for 2010 is based on battery sales of 45,000 tonnes in 2009 meaning that battery recycling schemes need to collect 4500 tonnes by the end of the year. Battery recycling schemes first quarter figures will be reported by the end of April.

Bob Mead, the Environment Agency’s Implementation Project Manager said “I have no concerns about the way things are going at the moment. We are very confident of meeting 2010′s battery recycling targets.”

This years target was always going to be fairly easy to hit but next years target may be more of a struggle. By 2012 the UKs target will be 25% and by 2016 45% of batteries need to be recycled. In order to meet these targets in future years more needs to be done to raise awareness to get people to take old batteries to collection points.