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The European Union is one of the few regulatory bodies that, in recent years, has been working to address the monopolies held by big tech companies over everyday products. Now, in a recent development, the EU has officially agreed on a new regulation that will mandate the use of replaceable batteries on all smartphones and devices, thus finally allowing users to replace their phone batteries without the need for any specialized tools or expertise.
This decision follows a vote by the EU Parliament back in June, wherein they supported the implementation of such rules. While the scope of the new regulation is limited to the 27 member countries of the EU, companies like Apple and Samsung may find it costly to maintain sealed batteries exclusively for non-EU markets. Additionally, since the law will also extend to other battery devices, such as laptops and tablets, its influence could potentially extend to non-EU countries as well.
Aim of the new regulation
The EU’s objective with the new regulation is to promote a circular economy by enabling the recycling of smartphone batteries. Additionally, since we can recycle approximately 95% of a lithium-ion battery, this regulation will reduce the reliance on mining new rare earth materials, which are already in short supply. Moreover, the law also requires original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to collect 63% of such batteries that would otherwise end up in landfills by the end of 2027.
Although the agreement between the Council and Parliament is still pending, once finalized, the rules will take effect 20 days after their publication in the EU’s Official Journal.
The 2027 deadline
Considering that this decision will require significant redesigns from manufacturers, the EU has granted OEMs like Apple and Samsung a grace period until 2027 to modify their products. And although the specific impact of this new EU regulation on popular devices such as iPhones, Galaxy S phones, and Pixels is currently unclear, companies like Apple will face a massive impact, as adopting replaceable batteries could open up new opportunities for selling replacement and extended batteries to their customers.
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