To protect the environment, the European Parliament has changed the battery regulation. This not only affects manufacturers and retailers.
On February 18, 2024, the EU Regulation on Batteries and Waste Batteries passed by the European Parliament – “EU Battery Regulation” (EU-Battv) for short – will come into force. This not only sets out new guidelines regarding batteries for smartphones and electric vehicles. Batteries and rechargeable batteries for the remote control or flashlight now also have to meet certain requirements.
New return policy
Old batteries and accumulators are not allowed to be disposed of with household waste, but must be taken to a recycling center or a specific collection point. From February 18th there will be an innovation: all dealers and manufacturers of batteries or accumulators will have to take them back. In stationary retail, this is done using a corresponding collection container. In online retail, customers must be able to return old and defective batteries by post free of charge. It is not yet known to what extent postage costs will be incurred by the consumer. However, some online retailers state on their website that they will reimburse customers for postage costs.
Ban on the sale of certain batteries
However, some changes will not be introduced on February 18th, but rather gradually, for example from August 18th, 2024. At that point, batteries and accumulators must meet additional guidelines. Including:
If the batteries and accumulators do not meet these EU requirements, the manufacturers or dealers face a high fine. In addition, from August 18, 2024, batteries (fixed or removable) may not contain more than 0.01 percent lead.
