31.—(1) A distributor of portable batteries must, at any place it supplies such batteries to end-users,—
(a)take back waste portable batteries at no charge; and
(b)inform end-users about the possibility of such take back at the distributor’s sales points.
(2) A distributor may not—
(a)make any charge to end-users; or
(b)oblige end-users to buy a new battery,
when accepting waste portable batteries under paragraph (1)(a).
(3) The duty in paragraph (1) does not apply where portable batteries are supplied by a small distributor.
(4) A distributor must not dispose of, or arrange for the disposal of, waste portable batteries accepted under paragraph (1)(a).
(5) In this regulation “small distributor” means a distributor who supplies less than 32 kg of portable batteries to end-users in a year.
32.—(1) A distributor may request any battery compliance scheme to collect from it waste portable batteries it has taken back under regulation 31.
(2) A scheme operator who receives a request under paragraph (1) must—
(a)arrange with the distributor within 21 days of the request for the collection of the waste portable batteries;
(b)ensure the collection of those batteries without charge to the distributor and within a reasonable time.
(3) A distributor who has requested collection of waste portable batteries under paragraph (1) may not make a charge for the collection of those waste batteries under paragraph (2).
33.—(1) Economic operators and waste collection authorities may take waste portable batteries to any facility provided by a battery compliance scheme for the purpose of receiving such batteries from such persons.
(2) The scheme operator must accept waste portable batteries at such a facility without charge.
34. A distributor must not show separately the costs of the collection, treatment and recycling of waste portable batteries to an end-user at the time of sale of new portable batteries.