Key takeaway
What This Development Means
The EU has adopted Regulation C(2025)1674, requiring all recyclers to use a uniform methodology to measure recycling efficiency and recovery rates from waste batteries. This directly impacts battery manufacturers, recyclers, and logistics providers, creating both compliance challenges and strategic opportunities across the value chain.
What is the new EU regulation on battery recycling efficiency?
The EU has adopted a mandatory methodology for calculating recycling efficiency and recovery rates of materials from waste batteries under Regulation C(2025)1674. It standardises input and output measurement across the EU and requires annual documentation and verification.
Who is affected by the new battery recycling efficiency rules?
Battery producers, recyclers, and service providers across the value chain must now comply with harmonised documentation and efficiency standards. This regulation impacts product design, waste handling, reporting obligations, and market access for waste battery treatment services.
he European Commission has formally adopted a delegated regulation on 21 March 2025 establishing a standard methodology for calculating recycling efficiency and material recovery from waste batteries across the EU. Applicable under Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, this measure directly affects manufacturers, recyclers, and suppliers handling lead-acid, lithium-based, nickel-cadmium, and other batteries, introducing strict documentation and performance requirements to ensure sustainability, compliance, and market consistency.
Harmonised Battery Recycling Metrics Now Law
The new delegated regulation, C(2025)1674, introduces a compulsory formulaic approach for calculating the recycling efficiency (rRE) and material recovery rates (rRM) for critical materials such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper, and lead. These metrics must be measured at specified calculation points within the recycling process, ensuring that only usable output materials—those substituting primary raw materials—are counted.
The policy mandates recyclers to account for input, intermediate, and output fractions across every step of the recycling chain and submit detailed documentation by Member State annually. Verification will be enforced by competent national authorities, with audits and site visits included as standard procedure.
Impact On Battery Manufacturers And Recyclers
Battery producers must ensure recyclability through design, while recyclers are now held to transparent and verifiable recovery rates. From 2026, annual reporting using uniform documentation templates becomes mandatory. Notably, mercury and cadmium disposal must be specifically tracked and reported.
The rules also anticipate technological developments: until 2029, recyclers may include carbon, phosphorus, and sulphur in calculations; from 2030, updated compositions will apply.
What This Means For The Industry
Manufacturers will need to partner with compliant recyclers and potentially redesign batteries to meet recovery targets. For logistics providers and recyclers, new opportunities lie in offering traceable, high-yield recovery services. Failure to meet documentation or verification requirements may result in penalties or market access restrictions.
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