It's a good point, though I will caution that in the case of paper and plastic waste, many consumers have much less control over product end-of-life than petrol

It's a good point, though I will caution that in the case of paper and plastic waste, many consumers have much less control over product end-of-life than petroleum and paper industry would have them believe. Regulating at an industry level is necessary for more than just battery recycling, as passing the buck to the consumers is not a viable solution for anything other than saving face.