Just last week, the Council of Ministers gave the green light to the legislative decree bringing Italian legislation into line with the 2023 EU Regulation on waste batteries, an important step forward as Italy moves closer to a more advanced model of circular economy. The measure reshapes the entire life cycle of waste batteries – from design to market placement, from traceability through to collection and recycling – strengthening producer responsibility, controls and environmental targets.

Erion @ErionSistema

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Il Governo approva il decreto legislativo di adeguamento Regolamento UE batterie (UE) 2023/1542.

Laura Castelli, DG di Erion Energy: "è una svolta importante per il nostro Paese".

Scopri di più: erionenergy.it/it/normativa/i…

#Batterie #economiacircolare #riciclo #sostenibilita

6 feb 2026 · Apri su X →

Waste batteries: a necessary intervention

A move that was necessary and long awaited, because the current picture of the supply chain remains critical, as highlighted by Erion Energy's data: in 2025, Italy collected only 31 per cent of the portable waste batteries placed on the market. A figure well below that of other major European countries, such as Spain (46 per cent), France (50 per cent) and Germany (55 per cent), and far short of the new EU targets, which require reaching 73 per cent by 2030. To meet this goal, national per capita collection would need to rise from the current 150 grams to 360 grams.

According to Laura Castelli, managing director of Erion Energy, the new decree can represent a change of pace — indeed "an important turning point for our country. As Erion Energy, we are pleased to have contributed in a concrete way to the work of the National Coordination Centre for Batteries and Accumulators (Cdcnpa), providing technical expertise and know-how to support the development of a solid and workable regulatory framework. Not just a legislative act, but a truly extraordinary team effort involving institutions, businesses and collective systems."

The decree strengthens the principle of extended producer responsibility, introduces new traceability and transparency obligations along the supply chain, and focuses on sustainable design, durability and recyclability. "The European regulation radically changes the way batteries must be designed, placed on the market, used, tracked and finally collected and recycled. It is a true 'circular life cycle', starting from sustainable design and extending all the way to waste management: more controls, more transparency along the supply chain, more recovered materials and less pollution," Castelli emphasises.

The role of WEEE consortia such as Erion

In this context, the role of collective systems becomes central. In 2025, Erion Energy collected 6,200 tonnes of waste batteries, up 8 per cent compared to 2024. Proper treatment made it possible to recover nearly 3,000 tonnes of lead — equivalent to the weight of 285,000 new lead-acid batteries — 1,600 tonnes of iron, almost 400 tonnes of zinc and around 40 tonnes of aluminium. Figures that demonstrate the environmental and economic value of recycling, but which alone are not enough to close the gap with European targets.

One of the main sticking points concerns batteries contained in small household appliances. Today, against a recovery potential of 10 kg per tonne of WEEE processed, only 6 kg are actually intercepted. "We have also opened working groups with treatment plants and industry associations to increase collection," Castelli explains. "Many batteries arrive at facilities having been disposed of incorrectly — sometimes loose and inserted into grouping R4, and other times still inside devices because they were not removed by users."

From the citizens' perspective

From the citizens' perspective, the problem is less about awareness and more about practicality. According to the "Sustainability and Awareness" survey conducted by Ipsos Doxa Italia for Erion, 92 per cent of respondents know that spent batteries must be collected separately, yet actual behaviour remains inconsistent. The demand that emerges most strongly is for proximity: 84 per cent would prefer to drop off batteries at supermarkets, followed by other everyday locations such as shops, schools, parks, fairs and train stations. "Citizens want to be able to dispose of batteries in the places they already visit, without having to make a dedicated trip just to dispose of their waste correctly," Erion Energy notes. Well-positioned collection points, simple reminders — such as "bring your batteries when you do your shopping" — and an up-to-date public map of active collection points are among the solutions put forward.

Preferences also vary by region: in the South and the Islands, there is greater interest in collection points at municipal and post offices, while in the North East the retail model finds more favour. The new legislative decree finally provides a clear framework that is consistent with European requirements. The challenge now is to translate the regulation into widespread behaviours and accessible infrastructure — because without thorough collection integrated into daily life, even the best targets risk remaining on paper.