Smartphone batteries that cannot be removed and repaired will soon be a thing of the past. On June 14, the European Parliament adopted a new rule for more sustainable and ethical batteries. Within a few years, manufacturers will have to offer products with easily accessible and recyclable elements. Above all, they will be in charge of reviewing the manufacture of the devices that already exist on the market.
Batteries are, therefore, the elements that are analyzed the most given their importance in electronic devices: previously easily accessible, they are now soldered to the rest of the device, with no opening on the back to access them.
recycled components
Parliament thus largely approved the text (587 votes in favor to 9 against), which aims more generally at a circular economy and a better industrial strategy for the European Union. By allowing better accessibility to batteries, the EU especially wants them to be better recycled and reconditioned in the long term. The long-term goal is to offer products made with a tax percentage of recycled cobalt, lead, lithium, and nickel.
However, smartphones are not the only devices affected by this new regulation: any device equipped with a battery will have to comply with the new measures in its manufacturing process. Thus, cars, electric scooters or computers will also be affected.
The regulation still has to go through the European Council before its final adoption. Once this validation is done, the new rules will take effect directly.
Source: BFM TV
