Amendments to the government guidance notes on the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009: definitions of a portable battery

The Department of the Environment has published a consultation paper as part of a UK-wide consultation on amendments to the Government Guidance Notes on the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009: definitions of a portable battery

This consultation looks at whether to amend the Government Guidance Notes on the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 to provide clarity on the definition of what constitutes a ‘portable’ battery.

The proposed amendment will provide a clearer framework to help interpretation of whether a battery “can be hand-carried by an average person without difficulty”. It will remove the 4kg -10kg “grey area” within the existing guidance and state a clear weight limit to determine whether a battery can be “hand carried” and is therefore a portable battery.