The European Union has passed new environmental regulations. From 2027, all electronic products must adopt "easy-to-replace battery designs"

According to news on June 16, the European Parliament on Wednesday passed a new regulation on the design, production and waste management of all types of batteries sold in the EU. The regulation was passed with an overwhelming majority of 587 votes in favour, 9 against and 20 abstentions. The EU said the new regulations take into account technological developments and future challenges in the battery industry and will cover the entire battery life cycle from design to end-of-life.

The most eye-catching of the regulations is undoubtedly a new requirement for electronic products, that is, the batteries in all household appliances and consumer electronics should be "easily removed and replaceable" by consumers. The word "easy" means that users can replace the battery without special tools.

After entering the era of smartphones, almost all manufacturers have abandoned the detachable back cover design for various reasons such as thinness, safety, and waterproofing. The new regulations adopted by the European Union this time mean that unless manufacturers have formulated replacement plans, the integrated design of current mainstream smartphone products must be significantly modified.

The new EU law will come into effect in early 2027. The EU can also extend the time limit if equipment manufacturers need more time to adjust. However, since this law only applies to Europe, it is doubtful whether manufacturers will design mobile phones separately for European users.

The core requirements of the new bill:

• Electric vehicle batteries, light vehicle batteries (LMT) and rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity of more than 2kWh must carry a carbon footprint statement and label;

• Electric vehicle batteries, light vehicle batteries and rechargeable industrial batteries with a capacity exceeding 2kWh must carry a digital battery passport;

• Home appliances and consumer electronics need to use portable batteries that consumers can easily remove and replace;

• Stricter waste collection targets: for portable batteries, recycling rates of 45% by 2023, 63% in 2027, and 73% in 2030; for LMT batteries, recycling rates of 51% by 2028, 61% in 2031 %;

• Minimum levels of material recovery from spent batteries: 50% in 2027 and 80% in 2031 for lithium; 90% in 2027 and 95% in 2031 for cobalt, copper, lead and nickel;

• Minimum levels of recycled content for waste used in the manufacture of new batteries: 16% cobalt, 85% lead, 6% lithium, 6% nickel eight years after the regulation comes into effect; 26% cobalt, 85% lead, 12 lithium 13 years after the regulation comes into force %, nickel 15%.