Trilateral Meeting

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Trilateral Meeting EPBA association update 16
June 2011 Washington
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Content

1. EPBAs sustainability report
2. Sustainability at EoL
3. Mercury in button cells
4. Nordic Swan

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EPBAs sustainability report

• 21 March 2011 launch EPBAs first
  sustainability report
• Brussels event 3 presentations
• EPBAs Sustainability report
• Hans Craen
• ECs sustainability overview Rosalinde van der
  Vlies
• LCA in framework of sustainability Prof. Wim
  Dewulf

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EPBAs sustainability report

• 42 participants
• - EPBA Members
• - NBA/CROs
• - Eurobat / Recharge / EBRA
• - European Commission
• - Other associations / organisations
• - White goods
• - Toys
• - WEEE
• - Packaging
• - Metals
• - Standardisation

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EPBAs sustainability report

• Content report
• 1. Industry vision, values and landmark
  achievements
• 2. Sustainability progress
• 3. Future sustainability roadmap

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EPBAs sustainability report

• Content report
• 1. Industry vision, values and landmark
  achievements
• Development of sorting and recycling technologies
• Regular improvements in battery performance
• Bringing to market new battery technologies e.g.
  NiOOH, LiFeS2, NiMH, LiIon
• Building Europe wide network of compliance
  organisations
• Close collaboration with EU and EU Member States

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EPBAs sustainability report

• Content report (contd)
• 2. Sustainability progress
• Environmental impact LCA studies
• Market trends (EPBA data 1997 2007)

Environmental gains from reduced use of natural
resources
Average weight of primary batteries fell by 24
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EPBAs sustainability report

• Content report
• 3. Future sustainability roadmap
• - Sustainability at end of life
• - Raw materials
• - Energy efficient design
• - Consumer information
• - Stakeholder relations

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Content

1. EPBAs sustainability report
2. Sustainability at EoL
3. Mercury in button cells
4. Nordic Swan

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Sustainability at EoL

• EPBA appointed a consultant (ERM) to assess the
  environmental and economic impacts of
• 1. Closing battery materials loop
• 2. Recycling spent batteries in existing
  facilities
• 3. Increasing collection rates and
  transportation distances
• 4. To develop methodology for measuring future
  collection sorting and recycling impacts
• The scope of work is on Alkaline and NiMH
  batteries

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Sustainability at EoL

• Objectives of the study
• ? Improve sustainability of end of life
  stage of alkaline and NiMH batteries
• Develop environmental footprint measurement
  protocols for national battery collection systems
  and battery recycling plants.
• Assess environmental impacts of
• existing recycling processes
• national collection systems taking account of
  burdens related to transportation as well as
  manufacture, distribution and disposal of
  collection containers.

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Content

1. EPBAs sustainability report
2. Sustainability at EoL
3. Mercury in button cells
4. Nordic Swan

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Mercury in button cells

• Brussels TWG meeting (Summary)
• - Commission revision of 2005 Mercury Strategy
• - External study identified Hg in button cells
  as one of the products subject to further
  measures
• - Proposed further measures
• - labelling of Hg on the button cell itself
• - labelling of products containing Hg
  button cells
• - Ban use of Hg containing button cells in
  toys
• - Ban of Hg containing button cells

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Mercury in button cells

• Further discussions
• Commission draft communication December 2010 on
  Mercury strategy
• ? No measures were proposed regarding button
  cells
• Council (Member States) opinion on draft
  strategy
• ? the Commission should assess, where
  appropriate, the possible need for measures to
  reduce the environmental impact of mercury in
  button cells and to assess the need for further
  risk management measures
• In parallel with the Council conclusions, the
  Commission opened a tender

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Mercury in button cells

• Commission tender
• Launch of study
• Study on the potential for reducing mercury
  pollution from dental amalgam and batteries
• Objective
• ? to provide Commission with a solid background
  to undertake additional legislative
  action, if needed, with the view of
  addressing the problem posed by mercury
  containing products
• Cooperation with Bio Intelligence

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Mercury in button cells

• Commission tender
• Study should focus on
• 1. Quantities of Hg used in batteries and
  environmental impact
• 2. Identifying measures that could reduce env.
  impact incl. Hg free alternatives
• 3. Identifying policy options to promote use of
  alternatives
• Timeframe 12 months

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Content

1. EPBAs sustainability report
2. Sustainability at EoL
3. Mercury in button cells
4. Nordic Swan

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Nordic Swan

• The Nordic label is an ecolabel scheme which
  applies for a wide variety of products
• The geographical scope Sweden, Norway, Iceland,
  Denmark and Finland
• The current requirements from 2002 have been
  revised
• Rechargeable batteries
• ? The new and old criteria remain valid through
  2011
• ? As of 2012, only the new criteria apply
• Primary batteries revision process coming to an
  end

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Nordic Swan

• Key requirements for Rechargeable batteries
• - Detailed composition of batteries (up 100ppm)
• - Primary packaging should have a minimum of 80
  weight percent
• - Involvement of independent test laboratories -
  Endurance test
• - discharge duration of cycle 799 must be at
  least 30 minutes (corresponding to 50
  remaining capacity)
• - discharge duration of cycle 800 must be at
  least 3,5 hours (corresponding to 70
  remaining capacity)
• - Information needed on labour conditions

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Nordic Swan

• Key requirements for Primary batteries
• - Detailed information on composition of
  batteries
• - Metal content
• - Primary packaging should have a minimum of 80
  weight percent post-consumer recycled material
• - Consumer information icons of products
• - Very strict requirements regarding working
  time 60 compared to the applicable standard