The Commission updated the List of Waste on Wednesday (5 March) to keep batteries and their critical raw materials in the economy for longer. Batteries are a key technology to drive the green transition, support sustainable mobility, and contribute to climate neutrality by 2050.
Access to shredded battery waste, known as ”black mass”, is essential to ensure electric vehicle battery recycling. The Decision is adopted (together with the automotive action plan), both of which pave the way for a more sustainable and innovative automotive sector. Today’s Decision clarifies that black mass shall be classified as hazardous waste. In accordance with the Basel Convention and the Waste Shipments Regulation, this will lead to better control of shipments of black mass and will ensure that black mass remains in the European economy. This supports the Battery Regulation’s objective of shifting to a circular economy, increasing security of supply for raw materials and energy, and enhancing the EU’s strategic autonomy.
New specific waste codes have been introduced to identify and support the proper management of waste from different stages of the batteries’ life cycle, including:
- Waste from battery manufacturing
- Waste from post-consumer batteries
- Intermediate fractions from battery recycling
Source: European Commission
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