The Council of the European Union has ratified a new legislation aimed at bolstering the sustainability guidelines pertaining to batteries and their waste. This directive mandates mobile phone manufacturers, including giants like Apple, to design their devices such that batteries in mobile phones and other consumer electronic products can be replaced by users with ease.
A press release from the European Union clarified that the new regulation will govern the full life cycle of batteries, encompassing their production, reuse, and recycling stages. These processes are to be carried out ensuring safety, sustainability, and competitiveness.
The regulation extends its ambit to all forms of batteries, including traditional portable batteries, batteries for electric vehicles, industrial batteries, as well as those used in electric bicycles, mopeds, and scooters. It’s primarily designed to mitigate the environmental impact posed by batteries across their life cycle.
Apple, in response, has introduced a self-repair programme, facilitating users with the necessary components and tools required to repair their devices, inclusive of batteries.
In line with the new EU mandate, by 2027, portable batteries integrated into electronic devices must be user-removable and replaceable. This legislative move is a significant triumph for consumers, providing electronic device manufacturers ample time to adapt their product designs to align with the latest specification requirements.
The legislation further stipulates that the batteries should carry detailed labelling information, including a “battery passport” and a QR code for users to conveniently access pertinent information.
