Marketplace Batteries

To comply with your obligations, Marketplace sellers have 3 main steps:

1. Announce an Authorized Representative:

It’s mandatory for a marketplace seller, who is not based in Austria, to announce an Authorized Representative.

The Authorized Representative Agreement needs to be certified by a notary or by some equivalent institution if allowed in the respective country of the marketplace seller.

The Authorized Representative becomes liable with regards to the marketplace sellers Extended Producers Responsibilities and is allowed to sign a contract with a PRO in the name of the marketplace seller, see point 2. The Austrian Authority accepts the Authorized Representative registrations quarterly.

2. Join a PRO (ERP Austria):

The marketplace seller must join a PRO in order to legally dispense with its batteries. Conclude your contract here.

3. Reporting:

There is no threshold, you have to report your put on market volumes to a PRO.

Battery means a source of electrical energy consisting of one or more primary (non-rechargeable) cells or one or more secondary (rechargeable) cells obtained by direct conversion of chemical energy. Most types of batteries contain toxic heavy metals, including nickel, cadmium, and mercury.

All of these metals can be recovered and reused. Recycling batteries is good for the environment as it keeps them out of landfill, where heavy metals may leak into the ground, causing soil and water pollution and endangering animal and plant life.

The distinction of the type of battery must be made according to the following categories:

Portable batteries: batteries, button cells, battery packs or accumulators,

– which are encapsulated; and

– which can be held in the hand; and

– which are neither industrial batteries nor automotive batteries, unless the industrial batteries are used in household electrical and electronic equipment.

Button cells: small, round portable batteries whose diameter is greater than their height and which are intended for special uses such as hearing aids, wristwatches, small portable devices or for back-up power supply.

Automotive batteries: batteries or accumulators for the starter, lighting, or ignition of vehicles; industrial batteries or accumulators used as automotive batteries or accumulators by type or design are classified as automotive batteries or accumulators

Industrial batteries: batteries or accumulators intended for industrial or commercial use or for electric vehicles of any kind.