The Battery Passport initiative marks a significant departure from traditional documentation methods by providing an all-encompassing digital record of a battery's lifecycle, from the extraction of raw materials to its disposal and recycling. Grounded in the European Union's newest EU Battery Regulation, this innovative approach aims to foster unprecedented transparency, offering stakeholders detailed insights into a battery's origin, composition, environmental impact, and recycling options.
It's worth noting specific milestones set by the initiative. By December 2025, it mandates a minimum recycling efficiency of 65% for lithium-based batteries, showcasing a commitment to sustainable practices early in the initiative's timeline. The ambition escalates by December 2027, with defined critical mineral recovery rates from waste batteries: 50% for lithium and an impressive 90% each for nickel, cobalt, and copper, highlighting a targeted approach toward resource recovery. The trajectory continues upward, as by December 2030, the minimum recycling efficiency for lithium-based batteries is expected to reach 70%, further advancing the sustainability agenda.
Additionally, the initiative has set forth minimum recycled content share targets that are poised to reshape the industry's material sourcing norms: 16% for cobalt (CO), 85% for lead (Pb), and 6% each for lithium (Li) and nickel (Ni), emphasizing a strategic shift toward more sustainable and responsible manufacturing and recycling practices.