Regulation No. 72 of 19 July 1999 of the Minister of the Environment validating the Procedure for Collection and Marking of Batteries and Accumulators Containing Dangerous Substances

Procedure for Collection and Marking of Batteries and Accumulators Containing Dangerous Substances Regulation No. 72 of 19 July 1999 of the Minister of the Environment This Regulation has been issued pursuant to subsections 6(2) and 11(3) of the Waste Act (RT I 1998, 57, 861; 88, rectification, p. 2810; 1999, 10, 155; 23 353), taking account of Council Directive 91/157/EEC on batteries and accumulators containing certain dangerous substances (OJ L 78, 26.3.1991) and Commission Directives 93/86/EEC (OJ L 264, 25.10.1993) and 98/101/EEC (OJ L 1, 5.1.1999) on adaptation to technical progress of Council Directive 91/157/EEC on batteries and accumulators containing certain dangerous substances. I. GENERAL PROVISIONS 1. This Procedure lays down measures for collection and marking of spent batteries and accumulators containing certain dangerous substances, with the aim of avoiding or reducing environmental damage caused by such batteries or accumulators. 2. ‘Battery or accumulator’ means a non-rechargeable (battery) or chargeable (accumulator) source of energy consisting of one or more primary cells and converting chemical energy into electric energy by way of direct conversion. 3. ‘Spent battery or accumulator’ means a battery or accumulator which cannot be used for its original purpose and which is subject to recovery or disposal. 4. This Procedure is concerned with batteries and accumulators containing: 1. more than 0.025 % of cadmium by weight; 2. more than 0,4 % of lead by weight; 3. more than 0.0005 % of mercury by weight and brought to the Estonian market before 1 July 2001. 1. Production, import and export, marketing and use of batteries and accumulators and appliances into which they are incorporated must be effected in compliance with prohibitions and restrictions laid down by Regulation No. 99 of 16 March 1999 of the Government of Estonia “List of Products which Cause Damage to the Environment as Waste and whose Production, Import, Export, Sale and Use is Prohibited” (RT I 1999, 34, 444). II. COLLECTION AND MARKING 2. Spent batteries and accumulators must be collected separately from other waste for the purpose of their recovery or disposal. Holders of waste are required to transfer spent batteries and accumulators to persons holding a waste permit and hazardous waste management licence. 3. Natural persons shall transfer spent batteries and accumulators generated in their households to a waste management facility in accordance with the provisions of Waste Management Rules of Municipalities established pursuant to subsection 21(1) of the Waste Act and in accordance with the procedure established by subsection 28(3) of the Waste Act. 4. Persons who produce, import or market batteries or accumulators or appliances listed under subclauses 3 a), b) and c) of the list approved by Regulation No. 99 of 16 March 1999 of the Government of Estonia must mark the batteries, accumulators or appliances with a marking indicating their separate collection, and with the chemical symbol of the heavy metal contained in the batteries, accumulators or appliances: Hg (mercury), Cd (cadmium) or Pb (lead). 5. The marking indicating separate collection shall depict a wheeled waste container crossed out with a cross and corresponding to one of the two figures provided in the Annex to this Procedure (the alternative to be chosen by the person applying the marking). 6. Marking indicating separate collection shall cover 3% of the largest side of the battery or accumulator, or, in the case of cylindrical batteries or accumulators, 3% of half of the outer surface, and it shall not be larger than 5 x 5 cm. 7. Batteries or accumulators need not be marked with the marking indicating separate collection if the marking would be smaller than 0.5 x 0.5 cm due to the dimensions of the battery or accumulator. In such cases a label of 1 x 1 cm must be printed or glued on the packaging. 8. Chemical symbols of heavy metals shall be marked beneath the marking indicating separate collection, with the symbol of heavy metal being of the size of at least one fourth of that of the marking indicating separate collection. 9. Marking must be applied to batteries or accumulators, their packaging, or appliances specified in clause 8 of this Procedure, in a clearly visible, readable and wearproof manner. When applying marking to packaging, account must be taken of the provisions of sections 7 and 10 of the Packaging Act (RT I 1995, 47, 739; 1997, 53, 836). 10. In places of sale of batteries and accumulators and appliances in which they are incorporated, buyers must be provided with access to information on the meaning of the marking applied to spent batteries and accumulators, on methods of removing spent batteries and accumulators from appliances in which they are permanently incorporated, and on possible risks that spent batteries and accumulators pose to human health and the environment. III. FINAL PROVISION 1. This Regulation shall enter into effect on 1 July 2000. Minister Heiki KRANICH Secretary General Sulev VARE Annex to Regulation No. 72 of 19 July 1999 of the Minister of the Environment MARKINGS INDICATING SEPARATE COLLECTION OF BATTERIES OR ACCUMULATORS