| Abstract |
This study addresses various aspects of the legal regime for waste batteries and accumulators necessary for our law to adapt to the requirements of Community law. However, it is suggested the possibility of putting into operation and implementing, in Spain, the Deposit-refund scheme as a management system, especially for waste batteries and portable accumulators, given the need to increase the percentages of collection and recycling of this type of waste that directs their management towards the postulates of the so-called "circular economy". The Deposit-refund scheme as a management system for waste batteries and accumulators is a system that has been envisaged since the first European regulation (in 1991) of waste batteries and accumulators, until today. Although, initially, in the Spanish version of the European regulation, it was called "surety system", although in the English version of it it was called: " deposit system" and in the French version: "systeme de consigne". However, despite its foresight, it is a system that (given the obligations and actions that it entails for producers, distributors and consumers) has been ignored, in our country, in favor of other more comfortable systems for all the previous agents, but, Certainly, when it comes to waste portable batteries and accumulators, they may not have been efficient enough (despite their meritorious achievements) in terms of collection and recycling rates. Its putting into operation requires an action (still pending) by the Ministry that has the competences in the protection of the environment consisting of setting (through Ministerial Order) the amounts to be charged, as a deposit, for each type battery or accumulator. |