Battery Recycling Fiasco

4.11.31pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 24th Sep 2008

The LibDems are pushing the Government to do much better at recycling batteries

Liberal Democrat European spokeswoman Dinti Batstone is warning that the Government faces multi-million pound fines because it is not doing enough to promote battery recycling.

LibDem campaigner Dinti explained, "The Government signed up to the EU Batteries Directive in 2006 to stop acid from old batteries leaking into our environment."

To meet its targets the UK has to collect a minimum of 7,500 tonnes of portable batteries for recycling by 2012. Last year the UK collected less than a tenth of that amount - just 600 tonnes. Other EU countries have already exceeded their targets.

Dinti is pressing the Government to explain why are we lagging so far behind.