Tesco Teams Up With BatteryBack

BatteryBack has been able to guarantee low collection fees for the next three years by utilising the existing infrastructure managed by Veolia Environmental Services and WasteCare. BatteryBack has also announced a recent partnership with PHS which will expand the potential collection network to over 200,000 sites throughout Britain.

Huw Clifford, purchasing manager of Tesco explained: "We believe major retailers will be key in helping Britain reach its annual battery recycling target. Tesco will be rolling out battery collection points across all stores in advance of the national campaign that starts next February. Only when collection points are in place will consumers begin to recycle their spent batteries.

"We already have a national contract with WasteCare and combining battery collections at the same time makes both environmental and business sense. Tesco will also have a representative on the board of BatteryBack plc for the next twelve months."

BatteryBack already have over 4,500 free collection points across Britain. Retailers are expected to collect approximately 30 per cent of the batteries needed to meet the European Directive. Civic amenity sites, schools, public buildings and other waste companies will generate the rest. BatteryBack has existing links with over 200 civic amenity sites across the country.

With only a few days to go before producers have to join a battery compliance scheme, many retailers still need to understand their new responsibilities. Currently, Britain lags behind the rest of Europe with only 3 per cent of batteries being recycled. By 2012 this level has to reach 25 per cent, if we are to meet our legislative objectives for battery recycling.

Notes to editors:

WasteCare Ltd is part of the Silver Lining Industries Group. It is a long-established specialist recycling company based at Garforth, near Leeds. With an expected turnover of Pounds Sterling 25m for 2008, it employs some 255 people around the UK. For more information go to www.wastecare.co.uk.