Batteries in China

Last Updated:	2004-10-06
Report Contents
-   Summary -   Additional Marking Requirements -   Operational Details -   Laws & Regulations -   Contacts

Introduction

China has developed a number of laws targeting mercury content in batteries. These were among the first design-for-environment laws in China that focus on specific products. In addition, a number of product-related environmental laws are being developed that would provide the regulatory bases for additional product-specific measures, including a law proposed by the Ministry of Information Industry that addresses substance restrictions in electronic products and a law drafted by the State Development Reform Commission that proposes take-back and recycling measures for electronic products. These proposals derive from enabling measures set forth in the Clean Production Promotion Law, described further in the Design for Environment and Product Take-Back sections of the China Country Page, and the Solid Waste Act, described in the Hazardous Waste section of the China Country Page.

Defined Restrictions:
The 1997 Regulation on Mercury Content Limitation for Batteries specifies that from January 1, 2001, zinc-manganese and alkaline zinc-manganese batteries with mercury content higher than 0.025% of the battery weight shall be banned from domestic production.

Article 6 of the 1997 Regulation on Mercury Content LimitationThe Development Of The Rule Of Law In China: Observations On The
Environmental Lawmaking Process for Batteries stipulates that from January 1, 2005, alkaline zinc and manganese batteries with mercury content higher than 0.0001% of the battery weight shall be banned from production. This provision goes on to provide that from January 1, 2005, alkaline zinc and manganese batteries with mercury content higher than 0.0001% shall be banned from sale.

Exemptions

The 2000 Interpretive Letter indicates that the 1997 Regulation on Mercury Content Limitation for Batteries does not include button cells, other primary batteries, and rechargeable batteries.

Under the 2000 Interpretive Letter specifying that, for warehoused zinc manganese and alkaline zinc manganese batteries with mercury content higher than 0.025% and without mercury content markings on the individual batteries, sale of such batteries may continue on the domestic market until December 31, 2001. Chinese officials indicate that “warehoused” batteries indicates batteries warehoused in China.