The Battery Directive

The Battery Directive regulates the manufacture, supply and disposal of batteries in the EU. It heavily affects handheld and mobile devices. This directive has an objective of reducing the amount of hazardous substances used in the manufacture of batteries e.g., lead, mercury, cadmium, etc., and better waste management of batteries. The Batteries Directive places design and labelling requirements on all batteries, including internally attached batteries supplied as part of an overall product.

For this reason this legislation heavily affects handheld and mobile devices. This directive requires manufacturers to design electrical and electronic equipment so that waste batteries can be readily removed. Manufacturers are also required to provide removal instructions along with details of the type of batteries. These requirements do not apply to equipment where a permanent connection with the battery is required in order to ensure continuity of power supply for safety, performance, medical, or data integrity reasons.

The exact laws can differ country by country and Avnet Abacus works within the guidelines set out for each region and will guide customers through their product design and development process to ensure that they comply with the relevant regulations.