“This means that every battery placed on the market in the European Union must be uniquely identifiable,” said Christian Theeck, business development manager at testing, inspection and certification (TIC) company TÜV SÜD. “Manufacturers/economic operators must provide a QR code that is linked to the corresponding digital passport for a large number of battery types.”
The EU rules, which will come into force in February, will apply to all battery types including the batteries used in consumer electronics products like smartphones.
The regulations hope to improve sustainability by establishing a resource-conserving circular economy. Through the digital passport regulators can trace where and when the battery was produced, with what share of recycled material, its chemical composition, and the CO2 footprint associated with its production. The digital passport also includes information on the expected lifetime.
Eventually, under the requirements of the new law, collection quotas will be introduced requiring manufacturers to use a prescribed proportion of recycled components in production. There will also be greater restrictions on the substances used in batteries.
The EU Commission adopted the new EU Battery Regulation this summer and it will be mandatory for manufacturers and economic operators in all EU countries from 18 February 2024. It replaces the current Battery Directive 2006/66/EC, which will expire in two years.