Q2 UK Battery Compliance Data for 2026

The Environment Agency published the Q2 2026 UK Battery data on 1^st September 2026, showing declines in both the amounts of portable batteries being placed on the UK market and collection volumes compared with this time last year.  However, there are some significant changes in the battery chemistries being collected.

Portable batteries placed on the UK market (POM)

Q2 2026 saw a 1% decrease (just 67 tonnes) in the volume of portable batteries being placed on the UK market (POM) from this time last year. There was a 3% increase in portable lead acid batteries, but only a 1% decrease (50 tonnes) in portable Other batteries.

Overall, Q2 2026 waste portable batteries collection volume of 5,103 tonnes is a decline on recent volumes collected in quarter 2, and the lowest since 2022. Lead acid batteries collected in Q2 2026 is the lowest quarter 2 volume since 2020, and for the first time, there were more ‘Other’ waste portable batteries collected than lead acid ones in the second quarter.

The charts below compare the volumes of waste portable batteries collected in quarter 1 over the last four years (2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026).

When comparing volumes of lead acid and ‘Other’ waste portable batteries collected quarter on quarter since 2016, ‘Other’ waste battery collections exceeded lead acid collections on only 3 occasions until Q3 2025 – ‘Other’ waste battery collections have now exceeded lead acid collections for the last 3 quarters since then.

So why are the volumes of waste portable lead acid batteries being reported continuing to decline? As covered in our Q1 newsletter, we are aware one of the UK’s exporters of lead acid batteries ceased trading in 2026, and that overall, exports of waste portable lead acid batteries have reduced. We are also aware that the environment agencies continue to be stringent in their requirements for Approved Battery Treatment Operators (ABTOs) wishing to issue evidence from portable lead acid batteries.

As a result, it is still difficult to know whether the recent data reflects a short-term situation or is perhaps the biggest sign yet that the UK’s previous dependence on lead acid battery evidence to meet obligations is changing.

Waste portable batteries collected

Based on the Q2 2026 data, the UK collection rate for 2026 is 25.02%, which is 56% towards the 2026 target (45%)

Overall, the Q1 2026 waste portable batteries collection volume of 4,849 tonnes is a sharp decline on recent volumes collected in Quarter 1, and the lowest since 2020

The charts below compare the volumes of waste portable batteries collected in quarter 1 over the last four years (2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026).

When comparing volumes of Lead acid and ‘Other’ waste portable batteries collected quarter on quarter since 2016, ‘Other’ waste battery collections exceeded lead acid collections on only 3 occasions (Q4 2016, Q4 2017 and Q4 2018) until Q3 2025.

So why are the volumes of waste portable lead acid batteries being reported declining so much? We are aware one of the UK’s exporters of lead acid batteries ceased trading in 2026, and that overall, exports of waste portable lead acid batteries have reduced. We are also aware that the environment agencies have become increasingly stringent in their requirements for Approved Battery Treatment Operators (ABTOs) wishing to issue evidence from portable lead acid batteries.

As a result, it is difficult to know whether the Q1 data reflects a short-term situation, or is the biggest sign yet that the UK’s previous dependence on lead acid battery evidence to meet obligations is changing?

Outlook for the compliance year

Based on the Q1 2026 data, the UK collection rate for 2026 is 11.02%, which is 24.49% towards the 2026 target (45%).

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

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