Smartphones & Tablets | June 22, 2023

The European Union has taken another step towards its goal of slowing down or significantly reducing electronic waste with the advancement of a law on batteries. Specifically, this law aims to require manufacturers of electronic devices, including smartphone manufacturers, to include removable batteries in their products.

The requirement for companies to include removable batteries is just one of the seven new regulations that Europe intends to establish. However, it is one of the most significant ones, mainly due to the challenge it poses for manufacturers. Currently, no smartphones allow for easy battery replacement, as devices are usually built as a single piece or with materials that are not easily removable, such as glass or aluminum.

“Design portable batteries in electronic devices in such a way that consumers can easily remove and replace them.”

One of the seven key points of the new EU battery law. Nevertheless, the ability for consumers to remove the battery will bring significant benefits to users. These include lower costs for battery replacement and the possibility of extending the lifespan of their devices. There are still many details to be known and many uncertainties in the air, such as which devices and other products will be affected by this measure.

Key points of the new EU battery law

This is not the only regulation related to the new battery law. Europe also intends to require manufacturers of electric vehicles to include a mandatory carbon footprint declaration label. This label will also be required for scooter or e-bike batteries and any batteries exceeding 2 kWh in capacity. These are the other regulations that will be included in the future law:

• A digital battery passport for LMT batteries, industrial batteries with a capacity over 2 kWh, and EV batteries.
• Due diligence policy for all economic operators, except for SMEs, which is yet to be detailed.
• Stricter waste collection targets for portable batteries: aiming for 45% of collected waste by 2023, 63% by 2027, and 73% by 2030; for LMT batteries: 51% by 2028 and 61% by 2031.
• Minimum levels of recovered materials from waste batteries: 50% lithium by 2027 and 80% by 2031. Components such as cobalt, copper, lead, and nickel: 90% by 2027 and 95% by 2031.
• Minimum levels of recycled content from manufacturing and consumption waste for use in new batteries. The EU aims for at least 16% cobalt, 85% lead, 6% lithium, and 6% nickel eight years after the regulation comes into effect, and 26% cobalt, 85% lead, 12% lithium, and 15% nickel thirteen years after the regulation comes into effect.

At present, the EU has reached an agreement to revise the rules on batteries and waste batteries with 587 votes in favor, nine against, and 20 abstentions from the Members of the European Parliament. The text still needs to be formally approved by the Council for the final draft to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union and for the law to come into effect later, probably in 2027.

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