Product Lifecycle Responsibility Regulation 2026.

The Product Lifecycle Responsibility Regulation 2026, made under the Product Lifecycle Responsibility Act 2025, establishes a regulatory framework in New South Wales for the stewardship of regulated batteries. It specifies that the scheme applies to a defined set of commonly used portable batteries, including standard household sizes, button cells, small removable rechargeable batteries, and batteries used in e‑micromobility devices, while explicitly excluding lead‑acid, mobile phone, laptop, and tablet batteries. If a battery in an e‑micromobility device cannot be removed, the device itself is treated as a regulated battery. The regulation outlines who qualifies as a brand owner and clarifies that parties responsible for bringing batteries into the State for supply fall within this definition, while manufacturers or name owners who do not supply the product locally do not. The regulation sets out product stewardship requirements, mandating that brand owners either become party to agreements with Product Stewardship Organisations (PSOs) or comply directly with the obligations in Schedule 1. These obligations focus on recovery, recycling, reuse, waste prevention, public awareness, and safety. Both brand owners and PSOs must maintain records that detail the types, volumes, chemistry, and weight of batteries supplied, as well as how consumers are informed about safe disposal and recycling. PSOs must additionally keep records about collection, recovery and reuse arrangements, third‑party agreements, and minimum recovery standards. Brand owners and PSOs have reporting obligations, with annual and quarterly reports required as set out in Schedule 2. These reports must cover supply volumes, communication activities, performance against action plans, financial information relating to recycling schemes, and incidents such as battery fires at collection points. Responsible entities must prepare and lodge action plans detailing how they will meet collection, recycling, accessibility, safety, consumer information and compliance requirements. The regulation requires a public register containing information about stewardship administration agreements, battery collection and recovery data, recovery and disposal rates, recycling rates, and PSO expenditure related to public education, collection, storage, and recycling. The schedules further specify operational standards, including collection‑point accessibility, design and safety requirements for receptacles, and adherence to the NSW Batteries Product Stewardship Recycling Standard. Amendments to the Protection of the Environment Operations (General) Regulation 2022 introduce penalty notice offences for non‑compliance with various provisions of the Act, prescribing a range of fines for first and subsequent offences depending on the severity and type of breach.