Understanding Extended Producer Responsibility for Portable Batteries

Battery power is in high demand as the world switches to green energy. The batteries of today are powerful enough for industrial work and electric vehicles, yet cost-effective for household use. The small batteries you find in electronics and power tools are classified as portable batteries, which are subject to extended producer responsibility (EPR) regulations. These laws govern how batteries are disposed of to prevent environmental harm.

What is Extended Producer Responsibility?

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is an environmental strategy that holds manufacturers and retailers accountable for the waste created by their products. For example, tech companies need to run recycling programs for used laptop batteries. The goal is to create a circular economy that reuses resources instead of wasting them.

In South Africa, we have extended producer responsibility regulations for six classes of products, one of which is portable batteries. EPR regulations for portable batteries have been in place since 2023.

What Qualifies as a Portable Battery Under the EPR Regulations?

The definition of a portable battery according to the EPR regulations is, “A battery which is sealed, can be hand-carried without difficulty, and is neither automotive nor industrial.”

In other words, portable batteries are consumer batteries – designed for everyday use and sealed to prevent contact with the chemicals inside. Car batteries and large immovable batteries do not fall under this definition. The regulations name five types of portable batteries, including alkaline batteries and button cells.

Some examples of portable batteries covered by EPR:

Packaging Type
Power banks		Power banks generate charge for other devices and are sold as complete units, therefore they fall under electrical & electronic equipment (EEE).
UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply)		A UPS also falls under EEE because it generates charge for other devices and is sold as a complete unit. They are also not always movable.
Laptop Batteries		Laptop batteries can be sold as standalone products and therefore fall under portable batteries.
Car Batteries		Portable battery waste does not include any automotive batteries (lead acid or li-ion). Lead-acid batteries are recycled under a deposit system in South Africa, while li-on car batteries are considered EEE.
Power tool batteries		Despite their industrial nature, power tools are consumer goods and their batteries are easily movable.
Vape batteries		Vapes use the same types of batteries found in small household appliances and electronics. They are lightweight and highly portable.

Why We Should Recycle Portable Batteries

Environmental Benefits

Batteries are primarily made of metal and electrolyte salts. Even though these materials come from the earth, they can be damaging to the environment when disposed of incorrectly. Heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and nickel are toxic to humans and animals. The soil and groundwater are at risk of contamination when dead batteries end up in landfills.

Portable battery recycling is important because it prevents environmental pollution. It also helps us conserve finite resources, including lithium, nickel, manganese and cobalt. These metals are crucial to battery production, yet their natural supply is limited. By recycling, we can reuse metals again and again.

Economic Benefits

Recycling portable batteries is also good for the economy. When materials go to landfill, they are wasted; never to be used again. Switching to a circular model (use, recycle, reuse) makes the economy much more efficient. Battery recyclers become suppliers of reclaimed metal and minerals, driving growth for local manufacturing and creating jobs.

How Portable Battery Recycling Works

The goal of recycling is to extract valuable materials from waste. With portable batteries, the most sought-after materials are lithium, cobalt, manganese, copper, zinc, and nickel. Steel and plastic can be recovered from battery casings.

Sorting – first, batteries are sorted by type, chemistry and material composition. For example, alkaline batteries are recycled separately from lithium batteries. Sorting before recycling increases the quality of the outputs.
Discharging – next, recyclers drain all residual charge from the batteries to prevent electrical shock, fires or explosions.
Crushing – finally, the batteries are shredded, and different metals are further separated from the mix. The shredded mass outputs go to refineries where they are processed for recovery and reuse of the metals previously mentioned.

The purified metals that come from recycling can be used to make new batteries, electronics, and stainless-steel products. This closes the manufacturing loop and creates a circular value chain.

Recycling Obligations for Battery Manufacturers in South Africa

South African EPR regulations mandate that all producers of portable batteries implement extended producer responsibility schemes (EPR schemes). An EPR scheme is a detailed plan for diverting waste away from landfills through recycling, reuse, cleaner production, and green product design.

Producers who must implement EPR include:

Battery manufacturers and brand owners
Retailers that sell imported batteries
Anyone who sells batteries commercially

Recycling is an important part of portable battery EPR. The regulations encourage producers to collaborate with local recyclers to support business development and job creation downstream. Producers can find battery collection and recycling targets within the EPR regulations.

Designing Packaging for Recyclability

Product design is another important aspect of EPR for paper and packaging. The regulations require that producers reduce waste not only through recycling and collection, but also at all stages of packaging production. That starts with designing EPR-friendly packaging that is easy to recycle.

Use recyclable materials – make sure your packaging is made from materials that are economically viable to recycle in South Africa as a first choice. Some materials may need to be exported for recycling, which increases their environmental footprint. When in doubt, remember to consider the entire value chain of your packaging.

Use less packaging – avoid heavy packaging that is fuel-intensive to transport and elaborate designs that take up unnecessary space. Overpackaging means using more materials than you really need to protect a product, giving the packaging a bigger environmental footprint. A good lightweight option is polystyrene, which is only 2% plastic and 98% air.

Make it easy to separate – different packaging materials have different recycling requirements. Putting containers together without glue makes them easier to pull apart and recycle each material separately. Multilayer packaging, such as plastic-lined foil, or coated paper should be avoided.

What to Include in an EPR Scheme for Portable Batteries

Extended producer responsibility is not only about recycling. EPR schemes for portable batteries must tackle waste at every stage of the value chain: sourcing, design, production, distribution, use, and disposal. The following requirements must be included in all portable battery EPR schemes.

Cleaner production – measures for reducing the environmental impact of battery production. Examples include responsible disposal of hazardous waste and using energy-efficient machinery.
Recycling and recovery – a strategy for collecting used batteries from consumers and recycling or refurbishing them to reduce waste to landfill.
Waste collection, transport and storage – details of how battery waste will be moved, sorted, and handled throughout the EPR fulfilment process.
Lifecycle assessments – a study of a battery’s complete environmental impact, including every aspect of its production to its disposal. LCAs help producers identify and focus on problem areas in the value chain to guide green interventions.
Green design – innovation in battery design to reduce future waste and promote recycling. For example, designing battery casings for easy dismantling or making longer-lasting cells that require fewer replacements.
Reporting – producers must report on the performance of their EPR schemes by presenting waste collection and recycling data to SAWIS and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

Implementing Take-Back Schemes for Portable Batteries

Take-back and buy-back schemes are some of the best ways to collect post-consumer battery waste. They help battery manufacturers advance their EPR goals and raise public awareness about recycling. Establishing a take-back scheme typically requires collaboration with retailers, who market the scheme to their customers and provide temporary storage for collected batteries.

Offering incentives and convenient drop-off locations can increase public participation to raise your collection rates. Clear instructions and transparent messaging are important too. The goal is to get people invested in your cause and make recycling a daily habit.

Working with a Producer Responsibility Organisation

A producer responsibility organisation (PRO) is a not-for-profit group that represents producers from the portable battery industry. PROs run extended producer responsibility schemes (EPR schemes) for their members to help them comply with EPR.

eWASA is a registered PRO for portable batteries in South Africa. Here’s how we help battery manufacturers and retailers meet their EPR obligations:

Run an established, compliant EPR scheme
Set up take-back schemes for portable batteries
Track battery quantities put on the market and waste collected
Submit performance reports and audits
Offer advice and networking events
Facilitate policy-making discussions for the battery industry
Source battery recyclers and waste collectors
Run portable battery recycling awareness campaigns

EPR Waste Association of South Africa

Environmentally Sound

Waste Management

Joining eWASA puts a leading environmental services association in your corner. We help you set up recycling systems for your products to ensure complete EPR compliance for your business. As a member, you join our professional community and gain access to networking events, educational resources, and participation in environmental lawmaking.

Finding Battery Recyclers in South Africa

Battery recycling is a crucial part of EPR compliance and the circular economy. Most of our battery waste is currently exported, however, the EPR regulations encourage partnerships that support the local economy. This creates opportunities for emerging South African battery recyclers.

For example, Cwenga Lib, which recently opened a lithium-ion battery recycling plant in Gauteng. Producers can send battery waste to Cwenga Lib’s facility for detoxification and energy-efficient recycling without having to ship it overseas. For consumers wondering where to recycle batteries in South Africa, drop off points are available at selected retailers.

Portable Battery Recycling Tips

Dead batteries are classified as hazardous waste and can pose safety risks when handled improperly. Manufacturers, retailers, recyclers, and the public should all take precaution when storing and sorting battery waste.

Separating by chemistry – it’s best practice to keep different types of batteries in separate collection bins (eg, lithium vs alkaline). Leaking or damaged cells can cause unwanted chemical reactions when battery types are mixed, which can lead to fires and contamination.
Taping terminals – encourage consumers to seal positive and negative battery terminals with tape before disposing of them. Tape will prevent batteries from short-circuiting when they contact each other, preventing sparks that can cause fires and electrical shocks.
Limiting storage capacity – keeping large numbers of batteries in a small container can create pressure on the lower layers that may puncture the cells. When this happens, chemicals will leak and contaminate the recycling. Other reasons to limit storage bin sizes are to reduce heat build-up and prevent fires.

Can You Recycle Batteries and e-Waste Together?

You can’t recycle batteries and e-waste together because they fall under different EPR regulations. This means you need separate Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for each waste class. Your collection and recycling targets will be different, as will the EPR fees.

Batteries can also be a fire hazard when recycled with electronics, so it’s safer to remove them and recycle them separately. By separating the two waste streams, you get higher quality recyclates with more uniformity and fewer impurities.

Battery Recycling Campaigns and Awareness Ideas

Portable batteries are small and easy to miss in general waste, so separation at the source is crucial. That means getting households to collect their used batteries for recycling instead of throwing them in the bin. Even though most people know battery waste is bad for the environment, many still don’t recycle. Some of the reasons for this may be:

Inconvenience – drop-off locations are poorly located
Lack of knowledge – not knowing where to take used batteries
Minimal space – having nowhere to store battery recycling at home
Apathy – no motivation to recycle because it offers no immediate benefit

Increasing portable battery recycling rates starts with healing these pain points for consumers. Awareness campaigns should not only focus on environmental benefits, but the ease and benefit of recycling for the individual. Some recycling campaign tips include:

Make it easy – use clear instructions with conveniently-located drop-off points
Make it attractive – offer incentives like store vouchers or giveaways
Make it credible – work with trusted partners like schools and community leaders
Make it a game – give people a collection target, create competitions, and reward progress

Join the eWASA PRO for Portable Batteries

Since 2021, portable battery manufacturers have been subject to extended producer responsibility. The EPR regulations enforce recycling and sustainability throughout the value chain, and producers must have strong EPR schemes in place. eWASA runs a fully compliant EPR scheme on behalf of battery producers in SA.

Join the eWASA scheme to enjoy hassle-free EPR compliance, waste tonnage declarations, and reporting. We connect you with reliable battery recyclers and keep you in the loop on the latest regulatory changes in the industry. Waste management companies, municipalities, schools, and community groups can also join our network. For more information, feel free to contact us.