EU could force phone manufacturers to allow battery replacement

The European Union could introduce a new law requiring manufacturers of all devices, portable or not, that use batteries to allow easy battery replacement. The bill would come into force within three and a half years of adoption, but it has not yet gone to committee for a vote. This is good news for customers, who would be able to buy and change batteries for their devices at home.

Batteries in phones could soon be easily changed at home

At the moment, manufacturers are left to decide for each individual device whether or not to allow battery replacement at home. In fact, companies like Apple are trying to adapt to these laws before they are enforced by offering parts and tools to change batteries and other components. However, the process is still very complicated and not exactly accessible to ordinary users. Among the few phones that still allow battery changes by easily removing the cover are Samsung’s Xcover models, which apparently even retain water resistance.

But the new law wouldn’t just apply to mobile phones. Those would be just some of the products covered, but including car batteries, whether internal combustion or electric, light electric vehicles and just about anything that integrates a battery, all will have to offer easy access to batteries to customers.

Batteries will also have to be equipped with labels bearing a QR code containing battery specifications such as capacity, performance, durability, chemical composition and waste sorting symbol.

This law would complement battery recycling efforts. The EU wants 45% of old batteries to be collected for recycling by 2023 at no additional cost to customers, rising to 63% in 2027 and 73% in 2030.