History repeats itself, and this time, it will save you money and the environment. The European Union (EU) now mandates phones to return to user-removable battery designs. By 2027, you should expect a shift from sealed units to longer lifespans, easier repairs, and less electronic waste, whether you use Android or iPhone devices.
The Council of the EU announced the new rules on July 10, 2023, to ensure battery safety and a healthy environment and promote a cyclical economy where we reuse and recycle materials. Here's what it means moving forward and how it affects you.
How the European Union's battery policy affects your device
The EU is a political and economic union of 27 member states, with key institutions such as the European Council, Parliament, Commission, and Court of Justice overseeing its operations. Typically, its authority extends only to member states, limiting its legal reach beyond those borders. But sometimes, it has indirect effects on the world.
Take the policy to reintroduce removable batteries in phones and electronics, for example. There's pressure on manufacturers to adopt them, even those outside the EU market. They either must maintain separate product lines, which is costly, or leave the market completely.
Given the EU's substantial market, they would likely aim to remain in it rather than risk exclusion. In 2021 alone, its GDP reached €14.5 trillion, accounting for 14% of global trade. Total global trade was €4.3 trillion, with intra-EU trade at €6.8 trillion.
Eventually, the EU's decisions have a ripple effect down to the everyday consumer — You.
If manufacturers comply with removable batteries to avoid extra costs, there'll be competitive pricing. Battery manufacturers will compete for contracts to supply to Samsung, Apple, and other big names in the industry. They'll cut prices to secure them, and in turn, the tech giants, too, will lower device costs for consumers.
What's the expected environmental impact of the EU’s policy?
According to Teresa Ribera, Spanish minister for the ecological transition, “batteries are key to the decarbonization process” and “end-of-life batteries contain many valuable resources, and we must be able to reuse those critical raw materials instead of relying on third countries for supplies.”
Among its targets, the EU plans to achieve the following goals:
- Producers will collect waste batteries: 63% by 2027 and 73% by 2030.
- Producers will recover lithium from waste batteries: 50% by 2027 and 80% by 2031.
- Producers must use recycled materials in their batteries: 16% for cobalt, 85% for lead, 6% for lithium, and 6% for nickel.
These targets will help the worldwide population solve many challenges. For one, producers will be forced to recycle lithium from old batteries rather than extract it fresh from the mines. This way, we limit land destruction and pollution linked with mining processes.
You probably won't need to discard your old phones
The EU’s regulations concerning batteries will change how your smartphones work. However, it’s still a long time away and may only affect phones sold after 2027, not the ones you have now. In other words, it doesn't mean you’ll throw away your current phone. Just imagine it. It’s not something anyone might easily comply with, especially after splurging on the latest Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and other flagships.
