The European Union has established regulations for batteries. According to the announcement from the European Commission, the new guidelines include clear objectives for improving recycling efficiency.
In Germany and the other 26 member countries of the European Union, provisions have come into effect to promote more environmentally friendly and safer batteries. The European Commission announced on Thursday, August 18th, that these provisions include efficiency requirements for recycling.
Batteries are a significant source of energy and are central to supporting sustainable development, environmentally friendly mobility, clean energy supply, and achieving climate neutrality. The demand for batteries is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. This is giving the global battery market increasing strategic importance, necessitating regulation.
With this new battery regulation, the aim is for batteries to have a lower CO₂ footprint in the future and to use fewer harmful substances.
The new requirements state that by December 31st, 2025, the processing and reuse of 75 percent of the average weight of lead-acid batteries must be ensured. According to reports from the German Press Agency (dpa), the target is 65 percent for lithium batteries and 80 percent for nickel-cadmium batteries. Even stricter requirements are planned to be in place by the end of 2027 and 2030 respectively.
Furthermore, future minimum standards for batteries regarding their durability, performance, and CO₂ balance are being established. Currently, many batteries in the EU are not recycled but rather disposed of. This will change by gradually increasing collection and recycling goals for old batteries.
The regulation therefore sets minimum proportions of recycled materials that must be used. For instance, eight years after the introduction of the EU regulation, at least 16 percent of cobalt contained in a newly produced battery must come from recycling. For lead, it’s 85 percent.
Additionally, it is mandated that batteries in many devices, including mobile phones and laptops, should be replaceable by consumers themselves in the future. This regulation will be effective from February 18th, 2027, and aims to extend the lifespan of devices.
The goal of this regulation is to support the formation of a circular economy that improves the stability of resource and energy supply and enhances the EU’s strategic independence. This means that batteries should require fewer resources from non-EU countries and, as previously mentioned, should be extensively collected, reused, and recycled in Europe.
Starting from 2025, gradual requirements regarding labeling, performance categories, and maximum CO₂ limits will be introduced for electric vehicles, light mobility devices (such as e-bikes and scooters), and rechargeable industrial batteries.
In the future, each battery will feature a label and a QR code, providing essential information for consumers. This will include data about lifespan, charging capacity, durability, chemical components, harmful elements, and potential safety risks. These details will assist consumers in their battery purchasing decisions.
Special battery types, such as LMT batteries for e-scooters, industrial batteries with over 2 kWh capacity, and drive batteries, will also receive a so-called Battery Passport. This passport will provide information about the product’s CO₂ footprint.