Source: PRS India
Recently the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Forest Change released the Draft Battery Waste Management Rules, 2020.
About the rules
The Draft Rules seek to replace the Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001, which provide details for handling and management of batteries under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The 1986 Act regulates the protection and improvement of the environment.
Key features:
Applicability of the Rules: The draft Rules will be applicable to various stakeholders involved in the life of batteries or its components, consumables, and spare parts which make the product operational. These include every manufacturer, producer, collection centre, importer, assembler, dealer, recycler, consumer, and bulk consumers.
What does the current rule say?
- Currently, the Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001, apply to only lead-acid batteries.
What does the new rule say?
- The Draft Rules will cover all types of batteries. It will also apply to all appliances into which a battery is, or maybe incorporated.
- It will not apply to batteries used in certain equipment such as military equipment, space exploration equipment, and emergency and alarm systems.
Responsibilities of manufacturer and dealers Under the Draft Rules:
- Collecting used batteries against the new ones sold and issuing purchase invoices (when they collect used batteries)
- Setting up collection centres by themselves or jointly at various places for collecting used batteries from dealers and consumers
- Ensuring safe transport of the collected batteries to the authorized/registered recyclers and
- Filing an annual record of their sales and buyback to the state pollution control board by December 31 of every year.
