The Times report on some new regulations on recycling batteries:

"Almost half of the batteries used by householders across Europe will have to be recycled under tough new rules announced by Brussels today. The cost of complying with new EU legislation could run into millions of pounds in the UK, where the number of batteries recycled is currently less than 1 per cent."

Apparently we'll take the batteries to shops where they will sent back to the manufactures and by 2012, a quarter of all batteries sold must be collected once they run out. By 2016, the target will rise to 45 per cent.

This sort of approach - getting manufacturers to contribute to the cost of recycling - is very welcome and I'll be interested to see how these regulations roll out.