WERCSmart: Registering Lithium Batteries or Battery-Containing Products
1. What is the difference between registering a battery and registering a battery-containing product?
Only battery manufacturers should register a lithium-ion or lithium-metal battery (or any other battery) in WERCS. A registration for a battery means a loose battery is being registered. Usually, the battery will be incorporated into an OEM’s item like a cell phone or a power tool (this is considered a battery-containing item or BCP). Sometimes the battery will be sold separately as a replacement battery. A battery registration requires the person who inputs the information into WERCS to understand the chemical makeup of the battery. A battery-containing product is any item that contains a battery such as a remote control toy, a power tool, light-up apparel, a cell phone, or a laptop computer.
Before registering a battery-containing item in WERCS, the battery manufacturer must first register the loose battery in WERCS. A battery-containing item can't be set up until the battery manufacturer has completed their WERCS assessment for the loose battery. While WERCS is making efforts to obtain registrations from battery manufacturers, it is up to the Supplier of the battery-containing item to encourage battery manufacturers to register their batteries with WERCS.
2. I took a webinar/viewed the tutorials, but I still need help with how to register a lithium-ion or lithium-metal battery. Can you help?
An explanation of this process can be found on Retail Link > Docs > S > Supplier Guide > Getting Started > Product Safety > WERCS - Registering a Battery.
3. What information will I need to provide if I am going to register a lithium-ion or lithium-metal battery?
To register a lithium-ion or lithium-metal battery, the following information is required:
- Whether the battery is a lithium-primary/metal or a lithium-ion battery.
- The CAS number/chemical name of each chemical contained in the battery and the percentage of each chemical (the total of the formulation to equal 100%).
- Whether the battery contains nano-materials (and if so, which ones).
- Is the item something that will be sold as a private label for Walmart.com? This question refers to whether Walmart.com is selling it as a private label (e.g., Equate, Great Value, Mainstays), not if the Supplier is a private label.
If the item is being sold as a Walmart private label item, WERCS must author an SDS on your behalf.
Manufacturers registering a battery that will be used in a Supplier’s item should answer “no” to this question.
- Is this battery being packaged for retail sale or not?
- If packaged for retail sale, please provide a photo of the item, in PDF format, that clearly shows the item in its respective packaging that indicates product count for the package. If the battery is packaged for retail sale and you are selling different quantities in different packages, you will need to register both "packages" under separate WERCS submissions.
- Is this a battery, button-cell battery, or a cell?
- If a lithium-metal battery, the grams of lithium in the battery/cell.
- For lithium-ion, the watt hours of the battery/cell.
- The weight of the battery/cell.
- Does the battery meet the requirements of UN 38.3 testing?
- Does your organization have a quality management system (see IATA 3.9.2.6(e))?
- How many batteries are in the package? This is referring to batteries the battery manufacturer sells to a retailer (e.g., replacement batteries).
- Suppliers must verify how the battery is transported via DOT, IMDG, IATA and TDG (Canada). These questions refer to whether the battery is fully regulated or whether it meets the exceptions for each mode of transportation.
- Has the item been classified using Globally Harmonized OSHA standards?
- If yes, Suppliers must select the Health Hazard and Physical Hazard Classification.
- If no, Suppliers must certify that the item has not been defined by the GHS standards.
- Select retailer type:
- Suppliers planning to sell an individual battery must select specific retailer(s) and choose Walmart as at least one of those retailers. Then, Suppliers will be asked to provide the UPCs for the battery.
- Battery manufacturers registering batteries for others to use in their battery-containing item should choose No Retailer here.
- Is the item offered in Canada only or the U.S. and Canada?
- Suppliers will be asked to either upload a compliant SDS or request that the SDS be authored by WERCS (a requirement for items being offered as a private label item for Walmart). WERCS will charge an additional fee for authoring an SDS.
4. What information will I need to know if I am going to register an item that contains a lithium-ion or lithium-metal battery?
You will need to provide the following information when you're asking for a review of your item:
- Is the item being sold as a private label for Walmart.com? This question refers to whether Walmart.com is selling it as a private/exclusive label (e.g., Equate, Great Value, Mainstays), not if the Supplier is a private label.
- Is the item offered in Canada only or the U.S. and Canada?
- The battery’s placement in the item's package (shipped installed within the item or not installed, but within the item's packaging)
- Battery type (lithium ion or lithium metal). Please be sure the Battery Type chosen and associated supplier’s battery reflect the same battery type. For example, if a lithium-ion battery type is selected but the manufacturer selected a lithium-primary battery, this will result in a hold on the item and will delay the process.
- Battery manufacturer/battery name or number. Start typing in the manufacturer name and options will appear. Select the battery manufacturer/battery name or number from this list.
- Number of batteries or cells that are shipped with the item.
- Number of batteries or cells required to run the item.
- Whether the battery-containing product is fully regulated for transportation or whether an exception applies. And, if an exception applies, which exception. Exceptions are most commonly determined by watt hours for lithium-ion batteries or grams of lithium for lithium-primary batteries.
- Whether the Supplier wants to purchase an enterprise license for the item registration or only assign it to specific retailers.
- All relevant UPCs for the item. If many of the UPCs contain the same battery, Suppliers can register all of those UPCs under that same battery. For example, in many cases, laptops, cell phones, power tools or light-up apparel will all use the same battery. In this case, you would register one “product” and assign all UPCs using the same battery to one registration as long as:
- The various UPCs meet the same transportation regulations (all are fully regulated or all meet the same exception).
- All UPCs have the same number of batteries/cells in the package.
- All batteries/cells are packaged in the same way with the item (contained in the item or shipped with, but not contained in, the item) for all UPCs.
- The UPCs require the same number of batteries/cells to run the item.
- Packaging type and size in ounces.
Packaging Size refers to the type of packaging the battery or cell is contained within. For example: a cell phone has a Packaging Type of "plastic container". Packaging Size refers to the size of the finished packaged item, not the battery.
- The Walmart Supplier ID. Suppliers can assign multiple Walmart Supplier IDs to a UPC. This is commonly done when the OEM registers the item with WERCS but the item is sold by multiple DSVs or distributors. To add a Supplier ID here, Suppliers will first need to add the Supplier IDs to their account on the My Account page.