Q4 UK Batteries Compliance Data for 2023

The Environment Agency published the Q4 2023 UK Battery data on 29^th February 2024

Is the UK’s reliance on lead acid battery evidence beginning to change?

Portable batteries placed on the UK market (POM)

Q4 2023 saw an 2% decrease (-295 tonnes) in the volume of portable batteries being placed on the UK market (POM) from this time last year.

Portable batteries POM volumes have been in decline since 2021, as demonstrated in the chart below

The charts below compare portable batteries POM in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Total volumes in 2023, whilst not starting strongly, actually increased in Q2 and Q3 2023 from same time last year, but then just fell short in Q4.

Waste portable batteries collected

The Q4 2023 collection data shows a 5% overall decrease from this time last year (Q4 2022), and specifically, waste portable NiCd and ‘others’ batteries decreased, whilst Lead acid collection increased.

Waste Portable batteries Collection volumes have been steadily increasing since 2020, as demonstrated in the chart below

The charts below compare the volumes of waste portable batteries collected in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Much like POM volumes (not starting strongly), the total Q2 and Q3 collection volumes in 2023 have increased from 2022, but then fell short in Q4.

In Q2 and Q3 2023, there was an obvious decline in the amount of Lead Acid waste batteries being collected compared with 2022, but this increased in again Q4 2023.

This coincides with a decline in the amount of portable NiCd and ‘Other’ waste batteries being collected, suggesting the reliance on portable lead acid batteries being used for Q4 evidence to meet schemes obligations.

Lead acid waste collections appear to be in decline, whilst ‘Other' waste batteries are on the up

Outlook for the compliance year

Based on the Q4 2023 data, the UK collection rate for 2023 is 45.57%, which is 101.26% towards to the 2023 target (45%), and therefore, the UK has achieved the 45% target for 2023

Author: Steve Smith, Compliance & Quality Manager, ERP UK

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