The end of the process for the elaboration of the decree that sought to establish the goals for battery collection and recovery as an individual product of the six priorities regulated by EPR was recently published in the Official Gazette (on May 28th, 2021). The initiation of a unified process to develop a decree that will regulate the recycling of batteries together with electrical and electronic devices was established otherwise.
The reason to consider them to be in the same waste group is due to the fact that these products are closely linked and managed in a similar way, which will result in improved logistics for their collection, greater efficiency in management systems and better citizen participation.
As an interesting fact, it is worth mentioning that currently 3,000 tons of disused batteries and 170,000 tons of waste from electrical and electronic equipment are generated each year in the country. To advance with the collection regulations of the latter, six categories of electrical and electronic devices were established to regulate: temperature exchange devices; monitors, screens and devices with screens larger than 100 cm2; lamps; photovoltaic panels larger than 50 cm; large appliances greater than 50 cm not included in the previous categories; and small appliances not included in the previous categories.
However, the unification of both wastes still generates many doubts and expectations, as if the unification of both decrees will also imply that the same thing happens with the management systems in charge of the collection, transport and recovery of this waste; whether the collection goals will be different or unified, among other details that will be discussed from now on with the new expanded operating committee that must be formed.
