Mobile phone batteries must be removable by 2027

The Council of the European Union has adopted a new regulation on Monday to reinforce sustainability standards so that batteries have a more circular life cycle, with recycling objectives and the obligation that by the end of 2027 storage devices are removable and replaceable.

“At the end of their useful life, batteries contain many valuable resources and we must be able to reuse these critical raw materials instead of relying on third countries for supplies,” the Spanish Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, said in a statement. which has the rotating presidency of the Council.

The regulation, agreed between Parliament and the Council, will apply to all batteries, including all waste from portable batteries, electric vehicle batteries, industrial batteries, starter batteries and also those used in vehicles and machinery, as well as those used for light means of transport, such as electric bicycles or mopeds.

In addition, it establishes targets for producers to collect portable battery waste -63% by the end of 2027 and 73% by the end of 2030–, and introduces a specific collection target for batteries used for light means of transport — 51% by the end of 2028 and 61% by the end of 2031–.

Likewise, it establishes a target for the recovery of lithium from used batteries of 50% by the end of 2027 and 80% by the end of 2031, which can be modified through delegated acts depending on the market and technological advances and the availability of lithium. .

Mandatory minimum levels of recycled content will also be required for industrial batteries.

Three and a half years after the legislation went into effect, portable batteries in household appliances must be designed so that consumers can easily remove and replace them.

To better inform consumers, the batteries will carry labels and QR codes with information related to their capacity, performance, durability, chemical composition, as well as the ‘selective collection’ symbol.