The European Commission requires batteries to be clearly labeled: CO2 balance, amount of recycled materials, etc.

The European Commission has submitted proposals for rules that battery manufacturers should follow. They should lead to clear labeling of carbon dioxide emissions throughout the battery manufacturing process and should regulate the content of recycled cells.

EU battery regulations - only preliminary offer so far

Work on battery regulations is part of a new European green course. The goal of the initiative is to ensure that batteries operate in a renewable cycle, do not pollute the environment, and that they meet the desire to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. It is estimated that in 2030 the European Union could generate 17 percent of global battery demand, and the EU itself will grow 14 times its current level.

The first key piece of information concerns the carbon footprint, i.e., E. carbon dioxide emissions from the battery production cycle... Its administration will become mandatory from July 1, 2024. Therefore, estimates based on old information would end up because there would be fresh data and data from the source in front of your eyes.

> New TU Eindhoven Report: Electricians Emit Significantly Less CO2 Even After Battery Manufacturing Is Added

From January 1, 2027, manufacturers will be required to indicate the content of recycled lead, cobalt, lithium and nickel on their packaging. After this communication period, the following rules will apply: From January 1, 2030, batteries will have to be recycled with at least 85 percent lead, 12 percent cobalt, 4 percent lithium and nickel.... In 2035, these values will be increased.

The new rules not only impose certain processes, but also encourage recycling. They should create a legal framework to facilitate investment in the reuse of once used substances, because - an eloquent proposal:

(…) Batteries will play a key role in the electrification of road transport, which will significantly reduce emissions and increase both the popularization of electric vehicles and the share of renewable energy sources in the EU energy balance (source).

At the moment, the European Union has had battery recycling regulations in place since 2006. While they work well with 12-volt lead-acid batteries, they are not suited to the sudden explosive growth of the market for lithium-ion cells and their variants.

Introductory photo: illustrative prototype of a Solid Power cell with solid electrolyte (c) Solid Power