Packaging, WEEE and batteries · From 18 August 2025
EU battery labels and QR codes
Separate collection symbol since August 2025, general label and capacity from August 2026, and a QR route to the battery passport.
Key facts
| Collection symbol | From 18 August 2025 |
|---|---|
| General label and capacity | Scheduled 18 August 2026, or 18 months after the implementing act if later |
| Symbol size | At least 3% of the largest side, maximum 5 x 5 cm; cylindrical cells 1.5% of surface |
| QR code | Links to the battery passport where one is required |
| Who | Producer, importer and distributor all help keep the label correct |
| Last verified | 2026-10-19 |
The symbol is already mandatory
The separate collection symbol has applied since 18 August 2025. It must cover at least 3% of the largest side of the battery, up to a maximum of 5 x 5 cm; cylindrical cells use 1.5% of the surface area. The symbol also appears on packaging and instructions where the battery is too small.
Label artwork that was approved before 2025 may not meet the size or placement rule. Check the physical battery, the retail packaging and the online listing image separately.
Capacity, chemistry and the QR route
Rechargeable portable, LMT and SLI batteries need capacity information; non-rechargeable portable batteries need the minimum average duration and a non-rechargeable mark. General information follows Part A of Annex VI.
Where a battery passport is required, a QR code links to the electronic record. The QR code is not a substitute for the label, and the label is not a substitute for the passport.
Frequently asked questions
When did the EU battery collection symbol become mandatory?
18 August 2025. The general label and capacity information follow on 18 August 2026, or 18 months after the implementing act if that is later.
Does the QR code replace the printed label?
No. The label carries the required general and capacity information; the QR code gives access to the battery passport. Both can be required on the same battery.
Ask a compliance question
Free first answer by email. Tell us the destination, the product and the channel — we will point you to the rule and the official source. No obligation, no sales sequence.