This Directive establishes rules regarding the placing on the market of batteries and accumulators. The Directive also focuses on the prohibition on the placing on the market of batteries and accumulators containing hazardous substances, and specific rules for the collection, treatment, recycling and disposal of waste batteries and accumulators to supplement relevant Community legislation on waste and to promote a high level of collection and recycling of waste batteries and accumulators.
Through this, the Directive also seeks to improve the environmental performance of batteries and accumulators and of the activities of all economic operators involved in the life cycle of batteries and accumulators, such as producers, distributors and end-users and, in particular, those operators directly involved in the treatment and recycling of waste batteries and accumulators. It applies to all types of batteries and accumulators, regardless of their shape, volume, weight, material composition or use, and for the purposes of this Directive ‘battery’ or ‘accumulator’ means any source of electrical energy generated by direct conversion of chemical energy and consisting of one or more primary battery cells (non-rechargeable) or consisting of one or more secondary battery cells (rechargeable).
