Built-in non-rechargeable batteries could disappear from the EU market as early as 2030, after the European Parliament voted in favour of new legislation on batteries.
"The days of disposable models are numbered" writes German magazine eGarage.
The EU will tighten the rules for appliances with built-in batteries. This is clear after an overwhelming majority in the European Parliament (587 to 9) voted in favour of the European Commission's proposal for new regulations on batteries. Within four years, batteries built into various appliances should be easily removed by the end user. If they can be sold at all.
Want to access disposable weapons
Such as the Road Column previously reported the upcoming legislation is likely to affect the market for e-cigarettes in Europe. Disposable vapes, which are meant to be discarded in their entirety when the battery is exhausted, are one of the product categories that Parliament wants to address.
"The days of disposable models are numbered. The European Union wants to move away from the disposable society and aims for more sustainability, environmental protection, recycling and resource awareness" writes the German magazine eGarage in a comment on the Parliament's decision.
To be "phased out"
As well as requiring non-rechargeable batteries to be easily removed from appliances, the legislation aims to review the possibility of "phasing out" the use of these batteries altogether after a transitional phase in 2030.
"We agreed on measures that greatly benefit consumers: batteries should be well-functioning, safer and easier to remove. Our overall goal is to build a stronger recycling industry in the EU, especially for lithium, and a competitive industrial sector as a whole, which is crucial for our continent's energy transition and strategic independence in the coming decades. These measures can become a benchmark for the entire global battery market." said the Italian MEP Achille Variati when the new laws were passed.
Businesses want to recycle
Various players in the market for single-use models have recently launched various systems to collect and recycle the devices more easily than today.
If I recall correctly, it was the EU that introduced the rule on built-in battery and non-refillable vape unit.
The reasoning at the time was that small children should not have access to the juice.
They will now reverse their own decision.
Oh, you mean that the EU decision-making bodies and those who prepare the decisions do not know how the products and substances they regulate work in practice? Sounds absolutely unbelievable 😉.