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Trade News Archive 2009 January February March
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16th March 2009
Batteries directive will place strain on retailers
New legislation on the proper disposal of batteries by retailers will create a "nightmare" for shops, it has been suggested.
According to the British Retail Consortium (BRC), retailers have welcomed efforts to reduce the number of batteries going to landfill, however they fear that the timing of the European Union's Batteries Directive could not be worse.
Under the new regulations, batteries will be classified as hazardous waste, meaning that they will not be able to collect them from stores in the same vehicles used to deliver goods.
Beyond the extra transportation costs this will impose on shops, reclassification will also require extra health and safety training in each store; costs that small retailers could do without during the recession, the Association of Convenience Stores notes.
Calling for a delay in the implementation of the directive - currently due to begin in January 2010 - BRC director-general Stephen Robertson said: "This is the right aim but the wrong time.
"Retailers are happy to provide an in-store collection system but having it ready to go right in the middle of the vital Christmas and New Year sales period will be a nightmare," he added.
Last month, Panasonic Batteries predicted that competition for sales of batteries will increase as cash-strapped consumers look for the best-value products during recession.
It also estimated that 45 per cent of batteries are purchased from local retailers and convenience stores.
(c) 2009
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