The European Parliament wants the new EU rules to ensure that batteries are produced more sustainably and recycled to a greater extent, in addition to seeking to avoid that the entire product has to be thrown away at the end of its useful life, banning batteries integrated.

Batteries and rechargeable batteries play an increasingly important role in many products, from laptops to robotic vacuum cleaners, electric vehicles and industrial batteries.

However, and despite the fact that its growth is exponential, the proportion of batteries that are recycled at the end of their useful life is still relatively low. This is a problem for the environment.

The crisis in Ukraine adds a new problem: the shortage of raw materials, making recycling more necessary than ever. “Putin’s attack on Ukraine poses a challenge to Europe’s supply of raw materials, which is why we urgently need replacement and markets for critical recycled raw materials.”says MEP Henrike Hahn.

Parliament wants to increase the proportion of recycled raw materials such as cobalt, lithium, nickel or lead in batteries. They should reach a recycling rate of 90% in 2026.

To this must be added, that to prevent the entire product from having to be discarded at the end of its useful life, Parliament wants to ban permanent installation or attachment of batteries in telephones, computers, headphones, domestic robots, electric toothbrushes, but also in electric bicycles or scooters.

Users should be able to replace them with commercially available tools. The manufacturer must ensure the availability of replacement batteries for the expected life of the product. Furthermore, independent repair companies should be allowed to carry out the replacement if the user is not confident enough to do it himself.

A European storage system for batteries and accumulators must contribute to it. “That is why we ask the Commission to quickly present analyzes and proposals”says CDU MEP Hildegard Bentele. Parliament has given the Commission until 2025 to do so.

However, and how could it be otherwise, the industry is on the warpath for this. They argue that this will jeopardize the durability and safety of the batteries.