International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

In order to achieve these targets, the battery industry set up a non-profit organisation
called BEBAT to co-ordinate the collection and recycling of batteries, and to ensure
that the target percentages were reached. The financing of the 'collection and
recycling contribution' is paid by members of the organisation (i.e. battery producers
and distributors). This contribution is passed on to the consumers through a price
increase.
Prior to the voluntary collection system for batteries in Belgium, only a small
percentage of batteries were recycled. The public waste companies considered them
to be hazardous waste, and consumers were supposed to collect them separately,
but there were no incentives in place. Of the small number of batteries that were
collected separately, only the nickel-cadmium batteries were being recycled.
According to BEBAT, the efficiency of the BEBAT collection system currently stands at
86 % (88.5 % in the Flemish region).
30.6 Implementation Costs
Ecotaxes translate into income for the government and represent an expense for the
consumer or for the producer. These may lead to a relatively cost-effective
instrument. This, however, relies on the condition that there exists an efficient
collection system for the tax; otherwise the whole system will turn into a costineffective
instrument for both the government and the enterprises. 614
30.6.1 How the Cost of Collection Relates to Revenues Generated
The revenues of the ecotax are principally not related to the costs of the collection.
Both the ecotax and the cost of the collection have to be carried by the involved
companies. The ecotax has to be paid by the producer of the product. The collection
cost has to be paid by the generator of the waste. Both apply unless the producer has
submitted to an accompanying take-back obligation.
The ecotax is indirectly connected to the collection costs in the cases where an
exemption is allowed for those wastes for which a well- performing collection system
is set up (e.g. batteries, single use cameras, professional packaging of glue, ink,
solvents). In case of professional packaging of certain fluids, the concept of a
‘packaging credit’ is introduced. This is a system in which an amount is credited by
the seller on the invoice of the client, equal to the real costs for the collection and
legal treatment of the waste by a waste collector appointed by the seller. When a
system of packaging credit is in place, an exemption from the ecotax obligation can
be obtained.
30.7 Social and Distributional Consequences
An ecotax might be considered to be a measure with the potential for regressive
impacts: low-income individuals or large families might be more affected than those
614 OVAM (2007) Analysis of innovative environmental policy instruments towards the realisation of
environmentally responsible production and consumption.
521
International Review of Waste Policy: Annexes