Because the battery lead, cadmium, mercury, acids, alkalis and other pollutants, when it arbitrarily discarded in the environment over time the outer metal corrosion, harmful substances will slowly overflow from the battery into the environment and through the food chain effect, directly or indirectly, into the body, and long-term accumulation in the human body is difficult to discharge, and thus damage to the nervous, hematopoietic function, weakened immune system, kidney and bone damage and so on. Therefore, the collection and disposal of used batteries is very important, if disposed of improperly, the ecological environment and may cause serious harm to human health.
Currently, the battery potential contamination has caused widespread concern in the community, the world's countries to adopt the attitude of battery products, in addition to controlling the concentration of harmful substances, mainly to recover based. Currently, an increasing number of countries have begun to take action to develop and implement battery restriction of hazardous substances, waste battery recycling and recycling related policies and regulations.

EU Battery Directive
In Europe, in order to achieve a higher level of environmental protection, the European Committee for Standardization (EC) cited a number of safety directives to strengthen the control of different products in the chemical content. March 18, 1991, EU 91/157/EEC number "containing certain dangerous substances, batteries and accumulators" instructions finalized. After the European Commission and on January 5, 1999 announced the first 98/101/EC Directive, the directive is the first revision of Directive 91/157/EEC. Recently, the European Commission on September 26, 2006 Notice No. 2006/66/EC official number "batteries, accumulators, waste batteries and spent electric accumulators" instruction. EU regulations on September 26, 2008 this Directive into national law, and since September 26, 2008 shall be repealed simultaneously implemented and the original Battery Directive (91/157/EEC) and its amendments (93 / 86/EEC and 98/101/EEC), replaced by a single one instruction.
2006/66/EC and the EU will launch a new batteries and battery-related directives. The Directive aims to reduce harmful batteries and accumulators production, improve old batteries and accumulators recovery, treatment and recycling rates, and providing information to consumers and encourage them to purchase the more longevity and environmentally friendly batteries. Batteries Directive and the "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive" (WEEE) are very similar, requiring manufacturers to be registered in the relevant departments, distributors are responsible for recycling old batteries, and each cell or battery is required to achieve a high recycling rate. In addition, the directive requires electrical appliances should be designed to make the battery easily removable for consumers readily handed the old battery recycling point. New battery directive main purpose is to reconcile the Member States on the batteries, accumulators and waste batteries and spent electric accumulators measures to reduce battery, batteries, waste batteries and waste batteries on the environment caused negative impacts and promote environmental protection and the prohibition of the sale of certain contains hazardous substances battery measures, and also provides Member States should develop recycling system battery recycling targets to achieve the highest standards. In addition, this directive also provides for producers to label on the battery, the battery's design, easy dismantling obligations and labeling requirements.

New battery directive expands the old battery directive (only applicable with certain mercury, cadmium and lead batteries) range, all the batteries are included within its scope. Entered into the following measures:
> Provides portable battery recovery;
> Restrict use of cadmium in portable batteries and develop a list of exemptions;
> Prohibit the automotive and industrial batteries discarded in landfills or incinerated;
> The recycling of the battery recycling rates.

Batteries Directive 2006/66/EC main points are as follows:
1 Directive bans mercury containing more than 0.0005% and 0.002% of cadmium content exceeding batteries and accumulators sold. Alarm systems, medical equipment and cordless power tools batteries and accumulators used except. Member States shall ensure that all batteries, accumulators and battery pack in the September 26, 2009 prior to the corresponding marked as identification and ensure its clearly visible, easily wipe label. Breach of the following limits of the battery, the battery symbol to mark the corresponding elements (as shown): Mercury weight> 0.0005%; cadmium by weight> 0.002%; lead weight> 0.004%. When the number of elements exceeded, identification methods can refer to Figure.
Identification shall cover at least the battery, accumulator or battery pack maximum lateral area of ​​3%, maximum of not more than 5 × 5 cm. For cylindrical cells, logo should cover at least the surface area of ​​the battery or accumulator 1.5% maximum of 5 × 5 cm. When the battery, accumulator or battery pack area is too small, so that identification is less than 0.5 × 0.5 cm, then do not need to be identified on the battery, but it must be on the packaging logo, size not less than 1 × 1 cm.
With the previous 91/157/EC Directive 98/101/EC and its amendments compared, 2006/66/EC and its limits and identify disabled limited aspects there are some differences, as shown in Table 10.1.
2 distributor has an obligation to recover the dead battery consumer, so the consumer shall inform this responsibility. By 2012, the EU member states should reach a minimum recovery rate of 25% in 2016 to 45%.
3 All manufacturers must be registered. Eu registration scheme should be consistent, making it difficult to circumvent manufacturer responsibility.
4 in the previous regulations, SMEs in the recycling aspect of treatment may be entitled to certain exemptions, but now these exemptions have been significantly reduced. Small quantities of new legislation clarifies battery manufacturer under what circumstances, exempt contribution obligations.
5 recycling rate, lead-acid batteries and accumulators at an average weight of 65%, 75% for nickel-cadmium batteries, the other battery is 50%.
6 manufacturers design appliances, batteries and accumulators should ensure easy removal.
7 In the EU Member States to the directive into national legislation after 1 year, the manufacturer shall be marked with the performance of batteries and accumulators. The aim is to encourage consumers to buy in better performance, longer battery life.