EU: Portable batteries must be consumer replaceable by 2027

[ERD50]

https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/07/10/council-adopts-new-regulation-on-batteries-and-waste-batteries/

The regulation provides that by 2027 portable batteries incorporated into appliances should be removable and replaceable by the end-user, leaving sufficient time for operators to adapt the design of their products to this requirement.

I have often thought about the added waste due to products being disposed of simply because the battery died or got weak, and how many batteries never got recycled because t was too hard to remove them. So I think this is good news. And 'by 2027' is actually Feb 18, 2027.

The EU was also the push for cell phones to charge via USB, which reduced scrapping of chargers when people bought a new phone, with every manufacturer (and often model-model) requiring a different charger.

And just like the USB charger mandate, the EU is a large enough market that manufacturers will probably adopt this for US model phones, tablets, etc, as well.

While I'm generally not a fan of government mandates, it just seems it's hard to get consumers and manufacturers to come together for a 'common good' solution. I'm curious if any designs have hit the market yet - Feb 2027 is not far away!

 

[Sunset]

I had a cell phone with a replaceable battery, it certainly was nice after 3 years to spend ~$15 to buy a new battery and plug it in.

 

[MichaelB]

This is interesting, thanks for the link. What I see is more a recycling mandate where producers need to recover target percentages of metals used in the batteries, regardless of where they were manufactured.

I do agree with ERD that effective regulation has its place and the EU forcing an agreement on standards such as USB chargers was beneficial for consumers. I would love to have a swappable battery inside my Apple devices.