Waste statistics - recycling of batteries and accumulators

Data extracted in November 2024

Planned article update: December 2025

Highlights

Close to one-half (46%) of the portable batteries and accumulators sold in the EU were collected for recycling in 2022. From 2009 to 2022, the collected amount doubled.

In 2022, 244 000 tonnes of portable batteries were sold in the EU. In the same year, 111 000 tonnes of used portable batteries were collected for recycling.

Portable batteries and accumulators collected for recycling, 2022

This article provides an overview of statistics on sales, collection and recycling of batteries and accumulators in the European Union and each EU country.

The overall objective of the Batteries Directive (Directive 2006/66/EC on portable batteries and accumulators) is to minimise the negative impact of batteries and accumulators on the environment, contributing to the protection, preservation and improvement of the quality of the environment. Therefore, waste batteries and accumulators should be collected and recycled; a high collection and recycling rate should be achieved to ensure a high level of environmental protection and material recovery.

Sales and collection of portable batteries and accumulators

Sales (products put on the market) and collection (waste collected) of portable batteries and accumulators from 2009 to 2022 are presented in Tables 1a and 1b, covering data for the EU, the EU countries and available EFTA countries. In 2022, around 244 000 tonnes of portable batteries and accumulators were put on the market (sales) in the EU, while around 111 000 tonnes of used portable batteries and accumulators were collected as recyclable waste. Thus, slightly less than half (46%) of the average annual sales of portable batteries (calculated on the period 2020-2022) were collected for recycling in 2022.

Table 1a: Sales of portable batteries and accumulators, 2009–2022
(tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (env_waspb)

Table 1b: Collection of portable batteries and accumulators, 2009–2022
(tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (env_waspb)

The amount of portable batteries and accumulators put on the market varies strongly across the EU countries, with sales in individual EU countries ranging from 137 tonnes in Malta to more than 63 000 tonnes in Germany in 2022. Overall, country-specific sales have increased over the period from 2009 to 2022, with volumes increasing for most countries. Only 2 countries (Portugal and Slovenia) reported a decrease over this period.

The amount of waste portable batteries and accumulators collected, measured in tonnes, is lower than the average sales over the last three years. Between 2009 and 2022, collection of waste batteries increased steadily in almost all countries. Only 1 country, Portugal, reported a smaller collected tonnage in 2022 than in 2009.

Figure 1 shows the development of the collection and sales of portable batteries and accumulators in the EU. The amount put on the market rose from 2009 to 2010, reaching 176 000 tonnes, before falling slightly to 169 000 tonnes in 2013. Steady growth followed from 2014 to 2018, before accelerating to 206 000 tonnes in 2019 and a new peak of 245 000 tonnes in 2021. In 2022, the amount put on the market decreased slightly to 244 000 tonnes.

By contrast, the collection of waste batteries and accumulators in the EU has increased steadily since 2009. Starting from a level of around 50 000 tonnes in 2009, collection increased to around 111 000 tonnes by 2022. The tonnage collected has increased in each year, except for between 2019 and 2020, where the tonnes of portable batteries and accumulators fell by 2 000 tonnes.

Figure 1: Sales and collection of portable batteries and accumulators, European Union, 2009–2022
(tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (env_waspb)

The 'Batteries Directive' defines targets for the collection rates of portable batteries and accumulators. The target for 2012 was a collection rate of 25%, rising to 45% by 2016. In 2022, 13 of the EU countries recorded a collection rate of portable waste batteries of 45% or more while another 7 reported collection rates in the range 40% to 45% (see Table 2). 4 countries (Greece, Italy, Malta, and Portugal) reported collection rates below 40%, whilst data was not available for a further 3 countries (France, Romania, and Sweden). Collection rates are calculated based on the sales data in Table 1a and the collection data in Table 1b, as a ratio of the weight of the collected batteries in a reference year divided by the average of the weight of the batteries sold during the reference year and the previous two years.

Table 2: Collection rates for portable batteries and accumulators, 2011–2022
(% of sales)
Source: Eurostat (env_waspb)

Recycling of batteries and accumulators

Due to the wide range of batteries that exist and the different type of metals and compounds of which they are made, there are specific recycling processes for each battery type. In this respect, the Batteries Directive differentiates between the type of applied technology based on lead-acid, nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) and other elements and compounds.

In contrast to sales and collection data, no distinction is made between portable and industrial / automotive batteries when it comes to recycling of batteries and accumulators. Thus, it is not possible to determine the type of batteries once they are shipped to the recycling facility. Consequently, the quantities of waste batteries and accumulators entering the recycling process are much higher than the recorded sales and collection amounts, which only include portable batteries and accumulators (see Tables 1a and 1b above and Tables 3a, 3b and 3c below).

$Table showing lead-acid batteries - input fractions to the recycling process as tonnes in individual EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway over the years 2009 to 2022.$

Table 3a: Lead-acid batteries – input fractions to the recycling process, 2009–2022
(tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (env_wasbat)

$Table showing nickel-cadmium batteries - input fractions to the recycling process as tonnes in individual EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway over the years 2009 to 2022.$

Table 3b: Nickel-cadmium batteries – input fractions to the recycling process, 2009–2022
(tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (env_wasbat)

$Table showing other batteries - input fractions to the recycling process as tonnes in individual EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway over the years 2009 to 2022.$

Table 3c: Other batteries – input fractions to the recycling process, 2009–2022
(tonnes)
Source: Eurostat (env_wasbat)

Recycling efficiency for lead-acid batteries

Recycling efficiencies for lead-acid batteries for reference years 2012 and 2022 are presented in Figure 2. In 2022, all EU countries achieved the target of 65% recycling efficiency for lead-acid batteries and accumulators. In 2022, almost all EU countries reported recycling efficiencies of lead-acid batteries that were well above the target. 5 countries reported a recycling efficiency of more than 90% and 11 a recycling efficiency in the range between 80% and 90%, 9 reported a recycling efficiency in the range between 70% and 80%, and 2 in the range between 65% and 70%. However, when comparing the recycling efficiencies for 2022 with those of 2012, there was no clear trend in the development of the recycling efficiency for lead-acid batteries and accumulators across the countries. For 15 EU countries, the recycling efficiency was lower in 2022 than in 2012. By contrast, the recycling efficiency was higher in 2022 than in 2012 for 12 EU countries.

$Vertical bar chart showing recycling efficiencies for lead-acid batteries as useful recycled materials in percentage of input fractions in individual EU countries, Norway and Iceland. Each country has two columns representing the years 2012 and 2022.$

Figure 2: Recycling efficiencies for lead-acid batteries, 2012 and 2022
(useful recycled materials in % of input fractions)
Source: Eurostat (env_wasbat)

Recycling efficiency for Ni-Cd batteries

Recycling efficiencies for Ni-Cd batteries are presented in Figure 3. Most of the EU countries achieved the recycling efficiency target of 75% in both 2012 and 2022. Among the 26 countries for which 2022 data are available, 21 achieved this target. In comparison, of the 23 EU countries for which data were available for 2012, 19 achieved the target. Out of the 22 EU countries for which both 2022 and 2012 data are available, 13 had higher recycling efficiencies for Ni-Cd batteries in 2022 than in 2012. However, 4 of these countries had reported a recycling efficiency of 0% in 2012. 1 country (Finland) reported the same recycling efficiency in 2022 as in 2012. The remaining 8 countries reported lower recycling efficiencies in 2022 than in 2012, however, 3 countries (Bulgaria, Malta, and Estonia) reported a recycling efficiency of 0% in 2022.

$Vertical bar chart showing recycling efficiencies for nickel-cadmium batteries as useful recycled materials in percentage of input fractions in individual EU countries, Iceland and Norway. Each country has two columns representing the years 2012 and 2022.$

Figure 3: Recycling efficiencies for nickel-cadmium batteries, 2012 and 2022
(useful recycled materials in % of input fractions)
Source: Eurostat (env_wasbat)

Recycling efficiency for other batteries

For other batteries, the recycling efficiency target of 50% was reached by all EU countries which reported data in 2022 (see Figure 4). No data was available for Portugal. The recycling efficiencies for other batteries spanned from 51.0% (Latvia) to 94.3% (Croatia) across the countries for which 2022 data are available. This range is much wider than those for lead-acid batteries and for Ni-Cd batteries. In 2012, 18 of 22 reporting EU countries reported recycling efficiencies above the 50% target. Data for both 2022 and 2012 are available for 20 EU countries. Among these, the recycling efficiencies for 'other batteries' were higher in 2022 than in 2012 for 12 EU countries, while for 7 countries it was lower in 2022. 1 country (Latvia) reported the same recycling efficiency (51%) in 2022 as in 2012. A factor behind the differences in recycling efficiencies for 'other batteries', over time and across EU countries, may be that different types of batteries are more or less frequent among the 'other batteries' in different EU countries or that this composition changes over time within the individual countries.

$Vertical bar chart showing recycling efficiencies for other batteries as useful recycled materials in percentage of input fractions in individual EU countries. Each country has two columns representing the years 2012 and 2022.$

Figure 4: Recycling efficiencies for other batteries, 2012 and 2022
(useful recycled materials in % of input fractions)
Source: Eurostat (env_wasbat)

Source data for tables and graphs

Recycling of batteries and accumulators (up to reference year 2022)

Data sources

The reported data are available in Eurostat's reference database. Reporting generally started in 2012 and include reference years back to 2009.

The analysis generally focuses on the most recent data on sales, collection and recycling of batteries and accumulators (lead-acid, nickel-cadmium and others).

Definitions

The key definitions used in this article have been laid down by Directive 2006/66/EC on portable batteries and accumulators (the 'Batteries Directive'):

(1) Battery or accumulator means any source of electrical energy generated by direct conversion of chemical energy and consisting of 1 or more primary battery cells (non-rechargeable) or consisting of 1 or more secondary battery cells (rechargeable);

(2) Portable battery or accumulator means any battery, button cell, battery pack or accumulator that:

is sealed; and
can be hand-carried; and
is neither an industrial battery or accumulator nor an automotive battery or accumulator;

(3) Automotive battery or accumulator means any battery or accumulator used for automotive starter, lighting or ignition power;

(4) Industrial battery or accumulator means any battery or accumulator designed for exclusively industrial or professional uses or used in any type of electric vehicle;

(5) Waste battery or accumulator means any battery or accumulator which is waste within the meaning of Article 1(1)(a) of Directive 2006/12/EC;

(6) Annual sales of portable batteries and accumulators to end-users should be expressed as the weight of the portable batteries and accumulators placed on the market in the territory of the country in the year concerned, excluding any portable batteries and accumulators that have left the territory of that country in that year before being sold to end-users;

(7) Placing on the market means supplying or making available, whether in return for payment or free of charge, to a third party within the Community and includes import into the customs territory of the Community;

(8) Collection rate means, for a given country in a given calendar year, the percentage obtained by dividing the weight of waste portable batteries and accumulators collected in accordance with Article 8(1) of this Directive or with Directive 2002/96/EC in that calendar year, by the average weight of portable batteries and accumulators that producers either sell directly to end-users or deliver to third parties in order to sell them to end-users in that country during that calendar year and the preceding two calendar years;

(9) Recycling efficiency of a recycling process means the ratio obtained by dividing the mass of output fractions accounting for recycling by the mass of the waste batteries and accumulators input fraction expressed as a percentage.

Context

The information and data presented in this article stem from the reporting obligations laid down in Directive 2006/66/EC on portable batteries and accumulators (the 'Batteries Directive' for short) and in Commission Regulation (EU) No 493/2012 laying down rules for calculation of recycling efficiencies for waste batteries and accumulators. The Batteries Directive sets collection targets for portable batteries and accumulators and recycling targets for all batteries and accumulators, differentiated by type.

Reliable and comparable data on the quantities of batteries and accumulators are necessary for monitoring whether the objectives of the Batteries Directive have been achieved. The Directive distinguishes between:

portable batteries and accumulators; and
industrial and automotive batteries and accumulators.

EU countries report data on the sale and collection of portable batteries and accumulators and on the recycling of all batteries and accumulators. With regard to recycling, the Batteries Directive differentiates between the following three battery types:

lead-acid batteries and accumulators,
nickel-cadmium batteries and accumulators, and
other batteries and accumulators.

Recycling efficiency

The Batteries Directive defines targets for the recycling efficiencies of batteries and accumulators. Recycling efficiencies address the recycling process only; they do not consider the efficiency of the collection, which is covered by the collection target for portable batteries and accumulators.

According to the Batteries Directive, recycling processes should achieve the recycling efficiencies:

recycling of 65% by average weight of lead-acid batteries and accumulators;
recycling of 75% by average weight of nickel-cadmium batteries and accumulators;
recycling of 50% by average weight of other batteries and accumulators.

Commission Regulation (EU) No 493/2012 specifies in Article 2 (3): 'recycling efficiency' of a recycling process means the ratio obtained by dividing the mass of output fractions accounting for recycling by the mass of the waste batteries and accumulators input fraction expressed as a percentage.

Starting with the reference year 2014, recycling efficiencies have to be calculated according to Commission Regulation (EU) No 493/2012. Details are given in Annexes I, IV, V and VI and in the Guidelines on the application of this Commission Regulation.

Explore further

Database

Database - Eurostat, see:
- Waste streams (env_wasst)
  - Sales and collection of portable batteries and accumulators (env_waspb)
  - Recycling of batteries and accumulators (env_wasbat)

External links

European Commission – DG Environment: Waste and Recycling: Batteries

Legislation