The electrification of society plays a decisive role in the green transition and the slowing down of climate change. Such a significant restructuring of society does not come without challenges, however. As a result of electrification, there is a rapidly increasing need for battery technologies for portable everyday devices such as mobile phones, computers and smartwatches, for industrial installations, and not least, to drive the mobility of the future with cars, scooters and bicycles, ferries, planes and drones. With such a rapidly growing market, public regulation must ensure the timely establishment of the necessary infrastructure and industry for environmentally sound prevention and handling of battery waste.
In June 2023, the EU adopted the new directive for batteries, strengthening the sustainability requirements for the design and production of the batteries and the battery waste. The new rules focus on the circular economy and regulate batteries throughout their life cycle. In the Nordic region, Norway stands out significantly with a new strategy for developing a sustainable and economically profitable value chain for batteries, with ten planned initiatives in the entire value chain through cooperation between public and private actors. While Norway thus sees battery development as an opportunity for growth and jobs, the situation is different in the small Nordic communities, where the volume of used batteries does not allow for establishing independent industries.
The project 'Batteries in Nordic small communities' has aimed to analyse inventories and statistical data, the regulatory framework conditions, and local perspectives on challenges with both consumption and waste management of batteries and accumulators to identify the opportunities and limitations of Bornholm, the Faroe Islands and Iceland to strengthen environmentally friendly consumption and disposal of batteries and accumulators in the three communities now and in the future. The project resulted in a large number of recommendations for Bornholm, the Faroe Islands and Iceland, respectively, which in the short and long term can contribute to increased consumption of accumulators rather than disposable batteries, strategy development, strengthening of citizens and the business world's understanding of the importance of correct sorting, etc.