⚡️New EU Battery Regulation

Sep 8

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Batteries power our everyday lives — from smartphones and power tools to e-bikes and EVs. But battery production and disposal come with a cost: extracting raw materials like lithium and cobalt strains ecosystems, and too many batteries aren’t recycled properly.

To tackle this, the EU has introduced a new law: Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 – the EU Battery Regulation.

It replaces the old Battery Directive and applies directly across all EU countries, setting common rules for how batteries must be designed, labelled, reported — and recycled.

Why the regulation matters

The new regulation aims to:

Reduce harmful substances in batteries
Use raw materials more efficiently
Improve transparency on content and origin
Ensure longer battery life and better performance

Key changes

1. Producer responsibility (From 2025)

Companies must register and report more battery types. Powerbanks are now officially classified as portable batteries and must be managed as such from August 2025.

2. Labelling requirements (From 2026)

All batteries and battery-powered products must show:

Capacity
Weight
Chemical composition

3. Battery passport (From 2027)

Larger batteries must include a digital passport (via QR code) with traceability and product data.

4. Supply chain due diligence (From 2027)

Large companies must prove they source raw materials responsibly, verified by an independent third party.

5. New battery categories

Battery types are now grouped into five categories:

Portable batteries (including powerbanks)
EV batteries
Industrial batteries (with a subcategory for energy storage)
LMT batteries (for e-bikes, e-scooters, etc.)
SLI batteries (Start, Lighting, Ignition)

6. Higher recycling targets

Now: 50% recycling by weight
2026: 65% for lithium-ion batteries
2031: 70%
Material-specific targets apply (lithium, cobalt, copper, nickel, lead) ➤ e.g. Lithium recycling must increase from 35% (2026) to 70% (2030)

Our responsibility

We are members of Batteriretur, a collective compliance scheme.

This means that we: …are registered with the Danish Producer Responsibility (DPA)

…handle all batteries – including powerbanks – in line with the new rules

Then vs. Now

Before

Reporting mainly covered AA/AAA batteries
Producer responsibility varied
Fewer categories
Recycling targets were lower

Now

Powerbanks are clearly defined as portable batteries
Clear, stricter rules apply across all of the EU
Five well-defined battery types
Higher rates + material-specific goals

Summary

The new EU Battery Regulation is a major step toward circular, transparent battery use in Europe. It affects all companies that produce, import, or sell battery-powered products — so staying informed and compliant is essential.

We’re already aligned with the new requirements — and ready to help if you need guidance.

References:

Batteribekendtgørelsen Producentansvar for batterier | Batteriretur hjælper dig i mål

Camilla Feldschau Petersen

Sustainability & Compliance Manager

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Mirrored from https://www.metz.dk/csr-blog/new-eu-battery-regulation - content only, not final design.