Government framed draft rules – Battery Waste Management rules 2020

The rules further deal with the responsibility of manufactures, dealers, bulk consumers etc and the procedure for registration/renewal of recycler’s.

New Delhi – Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of New Delhi has issued a draft rule – Battery Waste Management rules 2020 on 20^th February 2020 which proposes to replace the Battery (Management and Handling) Rules 2001.

The proposed draft rules called the ‘Battery Waste Management Rules 2020’ include batteries of all kinds, unlike the earlier Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001, which only mentioned lead-acid batteries.

            The Draft rules shall apply to every manufacturer, producer, re-conditioner, dealer, recycler, auctioneer, vehicle service centre, consumer and bulk consumer involved in manufacture, processing, sale, purchase, collection, storage, re-processing and use of batteries and all appliances into which a battery is or may be incorporated.

It will not apply to batteries used in certain equipment such as military equipment, space exploration equipment, and emergency and alarm systems.

The rules further deal with the responsibility of manufactures, dealers, bulk consumers etc and the procedure for registration/renewal of recycler’s.

Highlights are Establishment of an R&D cell for battery recycling and online tracking of the collection and re-processing of used batteries which seek to ensure safe disposal and organized recycling of batteries at the end of their life.

Mr. Navin Sharma, Director of Material Recycling Association of India (MRAI) said “Important stakeholders were excluded in Battery (Management and Handling) Rules 2001. There was a responsibility of battery manufacturers to collect old batteries, but they were not required to register their businesses. So small battery manufacturers did not come under the ambit of the BMHR,”

“Under the new rules, battery dealers will have to issue purchase invoices (when they collect used batteries). Earlier, dealers were obliged to register with the state pollution control boards, but there was no mention of issuing purchase invoice for old batteries,” Mr. Navin Sharma added