EU Portable Battery Collection Target Rises to 63% by 2027 Amidst Calculation Changes
The European Union has set a new target for the collection of waste portable batteries, aiming for a 63% collection rate by the end of 2027. This new target, established under the Batteries Regulation, represents a significant increase from the 45% minimum under the previous Batteries Directive methodology. According to Eurostat, the EU's collection rate for waste portable batteries in 2023 was 48.8%, falling 14.2 percentage points short of the upcoming 2027 goal. The comparison is complicated by a change in the calculation method for the new target, which now uses the average weight of batteries made available to end-users in the three preceding years, excluding the reporting year. This differs from the former Directive's method, which included the reporting year. Additionally, the growing share of longer-lived lithium-ion batteries in the market presents a challenge, as these batteries remain in use longer, delaying their entry into the waste stream and potentially skewing collection rates based on recen...
