Written question asked by James Naish (Labour) on Friday, 29 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 2 June 2026. It was answered by Mary Creagh (Labour) on Thursday, 4 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of user-replaceable batteries in smartphones and tablets on levels of electronic waste in the UK.

Answer: Defra is working with the Devolved Governments to review the UK’s producer responsibility legislation for batteries. As part of this review, a series of workshops were held with industry earlier this year to explore the potential impacts of regulatory consistency with the requirements of the EU Batteries Regulation in Great Britain, including in relation to user-replaceable battery standards. We intend to consult on proposals in the autumn.

Secondary information