John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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125. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment how car batteries are finally recycled, and what happens to each of their individual parts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42659/24]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Ireland uses the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) model for dealing with End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) and batteries waste streams. This means producers are responsible for financing the collection and environmentally-sound waste management of their products at end of life. Currently, management of waste car batteries, including EV batteries, is arranged through a partnership between the EPR compliance schemes for batteries and ELVs.

Car batteries are collected and sorted by type and chemical composition in permitted facilities in Ireland for export to dedicated recycling facilities abroad.

EV batteries are an increasing component of this market. In Ireland, there is growing industry collaboration with EV battery producers to increase the take back system for reuse, recycling and material recovery of EV batteries at specialist lithium battery recycling facilities in Europe. This requires specialist transport, waste battery segregation and shipment from authorised operators in Ireland. Support is also being provided by EPR schemes to producers who return batteries to their own diagnostic and refurbishment centres in Europe.

In 2022, a Long Life Lithium Battery Re-Use Pilot was carried out by Circuléire, a circular manufacturing innovation network supported by my Department. This consisted of training and upskilling staff, developing a setup, installation and testing facility for testing and dismantling EV batteries and investigating the suitability for alternative second-life applications.

Regulation (EU) 1542/2023 (“the Batteries Regulation”) came into force on 18 February 2024 and replaces the Batteries Directive. Under the new Regulation, recyclers must ensure that recycling achieves the minimum recycling efficiencies and recovered materials levels laid down in the Regulation . The Regulation strengthens the sustainability rules for batteries and waste batteries through the entire life cycle of batteries. Entry into force of different provisions is staggered throughout the period to 2027.