Commercial Information Circulars

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e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : EIC 230/2/11

29 September 2006

Dear Sirs,

Commercial Information Circular No. 386/2006

European Union (EU)* : Controls on the Marketing and Disposal of Batteries and Accumulators

The European Parliament and the Council of the EU have adopted a Directive to control the marketing and disposal of batteries and accumulators. The aim of the Directive is to minimise the negative impact of batteries and accumulators on the environment. Details are set out in Directive 2006/66/EC (the Directive), copy (pdf format) of which is attached to this circular for reference.

DETAILS

2. The Directive prohibits the placing on the market of batteries and accumulators containing hazardous substances and specifies rules for the labelling, collection, treatment, recycling and disposal of batteries and accumulators. Provisions affecting Hong Kong producers or exporters include:
   1. the placing on the market of all batteries or accumulators containing more than 0.0005% of mercury by weight (except button cells with a mercury content of no more than 2% by weight), and portable batteries or accumulators containing more than 0.002% of cadmium by weight (except those being used in emergency and alarm systems, medical equipment or cordless power tools) are prohibited;
   2. appropriate collection schemes should be in place for waste batteries and accumulators. It should not involve any charge to end-users but can be run in conjunction with the schemes for waste electrical and electronic equipment. Producers should finance the costs arising from these schemes.
   3. manufacturers should design appliances in a way that waste batteries and accumulators can be readily removed. Instructions showing how they can be removed should accompany the appliances;
   4. producers should set up schemes to provide for the treatment and recycling of waste batteries and accumulators. Detailed treatment and recycling requirements are set out in Annex III to the Directive;
   5. producers of batteries and accumulators should be registered. However, producers of small quantities could be exempted; and
   6. a symbol indicating "separate collection" should be marked on all batteries, accumulators and battery packs in a visible, legible and indelible form as specified in the Directive.
3. Member States are required to bring into force their national laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 26 September 2008.

ENQUIRIES

4. For enquiries about the content of this circular, please contact the undersigned at telephone number 2398 5500.

Yours faithfully,


(K H NG)
for Director-General of Trade and Industry

* The EU includes Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.