Regulations increase challenges in electronics logistics

The European Union has taken a decision to require that, from 2027, all smartphones have batteries that can be directly replaced by the user, without the need for the use of special techniques or specific tools for this. This measure, designed to reduce waste and promote a more sustainable approach to the use of electronic devices (the regulation also includes notebooks, electric vehicles and virtually any device that uses batteries) presents possibilities for gains in terms of sustainability, but brings with it some challenges. for logistics. 

The problem pointed out is quite easy to understand. Many electronic devices become obsolete due to the inability to replace batteries that wear out. In many cases, users prefer to buy new devices, given the difficulty generated by product design to change components. Therefore, by allowing consumers to easily replace batteries, it is expected that fewer devices are discarded prematurely, thus reducing waste.

Figure 1 – Batteries of electronic devices can be changed by the users themselves.

The new regulation also obliges manufacturers to collect a percentage that increases over the years of lithium and other materials from discarded batteries, in addition to informing consumers about the amount of recycled content, through QR Codes and labels on the batteries themselves. By encouraging recycling and reuse, the EU appears to be promoting a vision of a circular economy, where waste batteries are reintegrated into the production cycle, lessening the pressure on extracting new resources and potentially lowering costs in the long run. 

While the benefits are evident, there are also significant logistical and operational challenges to consider. Early on, this regulation could restrict manufacturers' ability to come up with innovative designs, and the trend towards thinner and more compact smartphones could be challenged by the need to make it easier to replace batteries. 

Additionally, adapting to this new reality will require significant supply chain restructuring, especially when considering the mandate to collect a specific percentage of lithium from discarded batteries. This implies the creation and strengthening of reverse logistics systems, which is quite complex for these components, with quite elaborate processes, as can be seen in the following video. These are products with higher transport risks, due to the variable states that they can acquire depending on people's consumption, and the collection itself becomes quite challenging, given the potential spraying of products sold.

(Source: What REALLY happens to 'Recycled' Lithium Batteries?! – (you might be surprised) – JerryRigEverything Channel)

Therefore, there are processes and costs necessary for adaptation. Manufacturers may face significant investments in research, design and structure. They are arguments, however, that are part of an important current reality that considers the negative impacts and externalities of production cycles on environmental sustainability. Decisions like this should become more common, just remember that the same EU decided to make the use of the USB-C standard in charging ports mandatory, in order to reduce the disposal of chargers. The challenges and complexities related to reverse logistics, sourcing and environmental responsibility in the supply chain are becoming more and more voluminous and companies need to prepare for this reality.

• https://mashable.com/article/replaceable-batteries-smartphones-iphones-2027
• https://www.techtudo.com.br/noticias/2022/10/lei-que-padroniza-o-usb-c-finalmente-e-aprovada-pela-uniao-europeia.ghtml