Waste management and material recycling are two key issues in many industries. Because they contain components that are potentially hazardous to human health and the environment, the end-of-life disposal of batteries is strictly regulated in France and throughout Europe. In this area, “extended producer responsibility” is a key concept. It is therefore worthwhile to provide a comprehensive overview of this concept, its evolution, and its objectives.
Extended producer responsibility encompasses all processes in which manufacturers play a role in managing the waste generated by the products they have manufactured. In practical terms, this means fully involving producers in the recycling sector to reduce waste generation, facilitate waste collection, and recover materials.
This concept, first theorized by the OECD in the 1980s, was described in an initial guide for public authorities in 2001. It was adopted by the European Union in 2008 as part of the Waste Framework Directive. France joined this movement in 2010 by incorporating it into the Grenelle Environment Forum and the Grenelle II Act.
The central principle of EPR is to make the original producer of an item responsible for the consequences of its end-of-life. By holding manufacturers accountable, this system enables more efficient financing of waste management, encouraging manufacturers to factor in the cost of collecting and recycling used products from the design stage onward.
Under European law, the term “producer” encompasses the original manufacturer, as well as holders, dealers, transporters, waste collectors, and treatment facilities. To finance the collection, recycling, and recovery of products, an eco-contribution has been established.
Since they may contain substances hazardous to both the environment and human health, batteries have been subject to an EPR system regulated by European and French regulations since 1991. Whether used by consumers or businesses, batteries must be systematically collected and properly processed to enable their recycling.
Since 2009, France has implemented more stringent measures regarding the materials that may be used in batteries and accumulators. Collection targets have been established for batteries, as well as recycling efficiency targets, particularly for models containing lead and cadmium. Batteries currently constitute one of the leading EPR sectors in Europe, due to their high production volumes and the increasingly important role batteries play in our daily lives (particularly with smartphones).
Extended producer responsibility applies to all businesses that place batteries on the French market, whether in physical stores or through online sales platforms. It also applies to sellers of various types of equipment (electrical, electronic, or vehicles) that incorporate original batteries.
In France, the collection system for used batteries includes two authorized eco-organizations. Scelle is one of the specialists responsible for facilitating the management of these end-of-life items through collection points located throughout the country and large-scale campaigns to raise public awareness and encourage eco-friendly habits in daily life for recycling purposes.
To ensure proper collection of all these items, European regulations have changed effective August 18, 2025. The legal framework now extends to batteries for light-duty vehicles, batteries in electric vehicles, industrial models, and starter, lighting, and ignition batteries. Their producers are now subject to new obligations under these regulations.
On July 1, 2024, five new draft bills were submitted by the Ministry of Ecological Transition to align French EPR regulations with European provisions. The goal of these new measures is to more clearly define the concepts of “responsibility” and “producer” in this sector, with the aim of establishing a circular economy in the battery sector, from design through waste management.
In the coming years, the battery recycling sector will need to continue improving its efficiency to effectively manage the growing volume of end-of-life products from this sector. Articles 59 and 60 of European Regulation 2023/1542 of July 12, 2023, set more ambitious collection and recycling targets for the period from 2025 to 2031. Among the products covered by the regulation are lithium batteries and accessories containing, in particular, cobalt, copper, lead, lithium, and nickel—materials considered highly polluting if not properly treated.
By the end of 2030, for example, 73% of used portable batteries must be collected throughout the European Union. By that same date, a recycling rate target of 80% has been set for lead-acid batteries and 70% for lithium batteries. Finally, increased material recovery is expected, reaching 90% for cobalt, copper, lead, and nickel by December 31, 2027.
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