Joining Bebat: this is what it will cost you
Why should you join Bebat?
If you bring batteries to market in Belgium, then you are subject to the legal obligation to take back batteries. In other words:
- you must register with the three regional authorities.
- you are responsible for the collection and recycling of used batteries.
- you must contribute to health and safety and public awareness.
- you are required to file a declaration on this with the three regional authorities.
That's some to-do list! You have two options:
- you either take care of everything yourself to ensure you are fully compliant, or
- you join Bebat. Then Bebat will ensure that you are fully compliant.
This includes a whole list of formalities and tasks you need no longer worry about.
Not yet sure about whether or not your company should join Bebat?
What does joining Bebat cost?
OK, it's a good idea to join. But what does it cost exactly? Actually joining is very easy:
Join online in three simple steps
- As a Bebat participant you then pay a flat-rate annual contribution of €60 (excl. VAT). This is a general participation fee for every participant.
- In addition, you pay an environmental contribution or an administrative contribution for each battery that you bring to market. Environmental contribution or administrative contribution? That depends on the type of battery.
Environmental contribution
The environmental contribution for each battery sold covers all the costs of managing discarded batteries and accumulators. These costs are for:
Collection, transportation, sorting, processing and recycling
Health and safety, public awareness and communication
Reporting to the three regional authorities
You’ll find the environmental contributions here
Administrative contribution
You pay an administrative contribution for large batteries weighing > 20 kg (with the exception of lead batteries > 3 kg). These include accumulators for hybrid and electric vehicles, batteries storing energy from solar panels, etc.
This contribution does not include the costs of collection, transport, sorting, processing and recycling. It does include health and safety, public awareness, communication and reporting. Why are collection and recycling not included? Because a uniform price is not possible in this case as the cost depends on the weight, chemical family, packaging required and service requested.
Bebat can deal with this for you as well, and provide a customised solution. If you would like to know more, contact us at participants@bebat.be or on + 32 (0) 16 76 88 91.
How to declare sold batteries
How does Bebat know the exact total of environmental and administrative contributions you owe? This is based on the declarations you file of the batteries you sold in the previous year (sold separately, built in or supplied with a device, vehicle, etc.).
- Do you bring fewer than 10,000 batteries to market per year? In that case, you have to file just one annual Bebat declaration for the previous year.
- Did you sell more than 10,000 batteries? In that case you have to file a monthly declaration.
Both the annual and the monthly declarations can be filed online, via the platform MyBatbase, built specially for Bebat participants.
Retroactive compliance
From the moment you join Bebat, you will also be required to comply in respect of previous years. Retroactively for three years prior to joining. That's not great news, of course, but it's only fair towards all the other participants who joined promptly and have been paying their contributions ever since.
Are you ready to catch up on your obligations? Retroactive declarations are subject to the environmental or administrative contribution that applied when you brought the battery or the battery-operated device to market.
Here you will find a historical overview of the contributions in the previous years.
How does Bebat verify that this is done correctly?
One of the basic principles of the Bebat system is that it should be just and fair for all participants. As a participant, you will be audited on an average of once every three years to verify whether your declarations square with reality. The audits are performed:
- by means of an online questionnaire on the participants’ platform MyBatbase, or
- by means of a comprehensive on-site audit. You will receive a report and advice tailored to your individual situation.
These are the ten errors most commonly made in the declarations
Filing your declaration and doing so accurately and on time is always recommended. Because in extreme cases, the costs of a comprehensive on-site audit could be recovered from you in full. These costs are absolutely avoidable.
An example
Below is a detailed example of the fictitious company Ohm. We have listed which batteries they brought to market and the corresponding contributions they owe. This will give you a better insight into the potential costs for your company.
| Contributions in respect of batteries Ohm brings to the Belgian market | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Battery type |
Quantity |
Contribution/battery |
Total |
|
Alkaline batteries (≤ 150 gr) |
5,000 |
0.057 |
285 euros |
|
Rechargeable lithium batteries (150 - 500 gr) |
2,000 |
0.20 |
400 euros |
|
Lead batteries (≤ 3 kg) |
50 |
0.057 |
2.85 euros |
|
Rechargeable lithium batteries (13 kg) |
1 battery of 13 kg |
2.49 |
32.37 euros |
| Contribution | |||
| Flat-rate participation fee | 60 euros | ||
| Total | 780.22 euros* |
(* all prices are exclusive of VAT)
In a nutshell
Here's a quick summary of the above information.
- Bebat has set up a collective system for meeting the legal obligation to take back used batteries. It is easy for companies to join up (online).
- In return for an annual membership fee (€60) and an environmental contribution per battery, Bebat takes care of the collection, sorting and recycling of the batteries. As well as health and safety, public awareness, communication and reporting. On the condition that you correctly declare the batteries your bring to market and pay your contributions. Bebat deals with everything for you!
- You will also pay an administrative contribution of €0.057 (excl. VAT) for large batteries weighing more than 20 kg (with the exception of lead batteries > 3 kg). This does not include collection and recycling. Bebat can deal with this for you as well, and provide a customised solution. If you would like to know more, contact us at participants@bebat.be or on + 32 (0) 16 76 88 91.
