IEC 63218:2021

IEC 63218 ®
Edition 1.0 2021-08
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes
– Secondary lithium, nickel cadmium and nickel-metal hydride cells and
batteries for portable applications – Guidance on environmental aspects

Accumulateurs alcalins et autres accumulateurs à électrolyte non acide –
Accumulateurs et batteries d'accumulateurs lithium, nickel-cadmium et nickel-
métal hydrure pour applications portables – Recommandations relatives aux
aspects environnementaux
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from
either IEC or IEC's member National Committee in the country of the requester. If you have any questions about IEC
copyright or have an enquiry about obtaining additional rights to this publication, please contact the address below or
your local IEC member National Committee for further information.

Droits de reproduction réservés. Sauf indication contraire, aucune partie de cette publication ne peut être reproduite
ni utilisée sous quelque forme que ce soit et par aucun procédé, électronique ou mécanique, y compris la photocopie
et les microfilms, sans l'accord écrit de l'IEC ou du Comité national de l'IEC du pays du demandeur. Si vous avez des
questions sur le copyright de l'IEC ou si vous désirez obtenir des droits supplémentaires sur cette publication, utilisez
les coordonnées ci-après ou contactez le Comité national de l'IEC de votre pays de résidence.

IEC Central Office Tel.: +41 22 919 02 11
3, rue de Varembé info@iec.ch
CH-1211 Geneva 20 www.iec.ch
Switzerland
About the IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading global organization that prepares and publishes
International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.

About IEC publications
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC. Please make sure that you have the
latest edition, a corrigendum or an amendment might have been published.

IEC publications search - webstore.iec.ch/advsearchform IEC online collection - oc.iec.ch
The advanced search enables to find IEC publications by a Discover our powerful search engine and read freely all the
variety of criteria (reference number, text, technical publications previews. With a subscription you will always
committee, …). It also gives information on projects, replaced have access to up to date content tailored to your needs.
and withdrawn publications.
Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished
The world's leading online dictionary on electrotechnology,
Stay up to date on all new IEC publications. Just Published
containing more than 22 000 terminological entries in English
details all new publications released. Available online and
and French, with equivalent terms in 18 additional languages.
once a month by email.
Also known as the International Electrotechnical Vocabulary

(IEV) online.
IEC Customer Service Centre - webstore.iec.ch/csc
If you wish to give us your feedback on this publication or
need further assistance, please contact the Customer Service
Centre: sales@iec.ch.
A propos de l'IEC
La Commission Electrotechnique Internationale (IEC) est la première organisation mondiale qui élabore et publie des
Normes internationales pour tout ce qui a trait à l'électricité, à l'électronique et aux technologies apparentées.

A propos des publications IEC
Le contenu technique des publications IEC est constamment revu. Veuillez vous assurer que vous possédez l’édition la
plus récente, un corrigendum ou amendement peut avoir été publié.

Recherche de publications IEC - IEC online collection - oc.iec.ch
webstore.iec.ch/advsearchform Découvrez notre puissant moteur de recherche et consultez
La recherche avancée permet de trouver des publications IEC gratuitement tous les aperçus des publications. Avec un
en utilisant différents critères (numéro de référence, texte, abonnement, vous aurez toujours accès à un contenu à jour
comité d’études, …). Elle donne aussi des informations sur adapté à vos besoins.
les projets et les publications remplacées ou retirées.

Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished
Le premier dictionnaire d'électrotechnologie en ligne au
Restez informé sur les nouvelles publications IEC. Just
monde, avec plus de 22 000 articles terminologiques en
Published détaille les nouvelles publications parues.
anglais et en français, ainsi que les termes équivalents dans
Disponible en ligne et une fois par mois par email.
16 langues additionnelles. Egalement appelé Vocabulaire

Electrotechnique International (IEV) en ligne.
Service Clients - webstore.iec.ch/csc

Si vous désirez nous donner des commentaires sur cette
publication ou si vous avez des questions contactez-nous:
sales@iec.ch.
IEC 63218 ®
Edition 1.0 2021-08
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes

– Secondary lithium, nickel cadmium and nickel-metal hydride cells and

batteries for portable applications – Guidance on environmental aspects

Accumulateurs alcalins et autres accumulateurs à électrolyte non acide –

Accumulateurs et batteries d'accumulateurs lithium, nickel-cadmium et nickel-

métal hydrure pour applications portables – Recommandations relatives aux

aspects environnementaux
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 29.220.30 ISBN 978-2-8322-1014-0

– 2 – IEC 63218:2021 © IEC 2021
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
INTRODUCTION . 6
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references . 7
3 Terms and definitions . 8
4 General considerations . 11
5 Requirements and recommendations . 11
5.1 General . 11
5.2 Environmental aspects of relevant secondary cells and batteries . 12
5.2.1 Environmental aspects of relevant secondary cells and batteries
including valuable and/or hazardous metals . 12
5.2.2 Environmental aspects of relevant secondary cells and batteries other
than those specified in 5.2.1 . 12
5.3 Requirements and recommendations on environmental hazardous
substances . 12
5.3.1 Heavy metals in relevant secondary cells and batteries . 12
5.3.2 Analysis methods . 13
5.3.3 Nickel cadmium cells and batteries . 13
5.4 Marking . 13
5.5 Collection and sorting . 13
5.6 Recommendations to improve recycling possibilities . 13
6 Environmental impact assessment . 14
6.1 Interaction with the environment during life cycle . 14
6.1.1 General . 14
6.1.2 Input . 14
6.1.3 Output . 14
6.2 Life cycle stages . 15
6.2.1 General . 15
6.2.2 Design and development . 15
6.2.3 Raw material usage . 16
6.2.4 Manufacturing . 17
6.2.5 Transportation, storage, disposal, and recycling . 17
6.2.6 Carbon footprint of batteries (production and use) . 17
7 Identifying product environmental aspects using a systematic approach . 17
Annex A (informative) Battery specific laws and regulations . 18
A.1 General . 18
A.2 Minamata Convention on Mercury . 19
A.3 Asia . 20
A.3.1 China . 20
A.3.2 Japan . 21
A.3.3 Korea, Republic of . 21
A.3.4 Malaysia . 22
A.3.5 Singapore . 22
A.3.6 Vietnam . 23
A.4 Europe . 23
A.4.1 European Union (EU) members and non-EU members where existing
battery law/regulations are based on EU Directives . 23

A.4.2 Russian Federation . 25
A.5 South America . 25
A.5.1 Argentina . 25
A.5.2 Brazil . 25
A.5.3 Colombia . 25
A.6 Middle East . 26
A.6.1 Israel . 26
A.6.2 Saudi Arabia . 26
A.7 North America . 26
A.7.1 Canada . 26
A.7.2 United States of America . 27
Annex B (informative) Global regulations and standards not applicable to batteries . 28
B.1 General . 28
B.2 Directive 2011/65/EU on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous
substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS) . 28
B.3 Directive 2012/19/EU on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) . 28
B.4 Directive 2005/32/EC establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign
requirements for energy-using products (EuP) . 28
B.5 Directive 2009/125/EC establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign
requirements for energy-related products (ErP). 28
B.6 PVC and Halogens in accordance with IEC 61249-2-21 . 29
Annex C (informative) Example instructions on disposal, transportation, storage,
collection and recycling for the end-user . 30
C.1 Disposal . 30
C.1.1 Local laws and regulations . 30
C.1.2 Disposal of damaged or disassembled secondary cells and batteries. 30
C.2 Transportation of cells and batteries for recycling . 30
C.2.1 Lithium cells and batteries . 30
C.2.2 Ni-MH and Ni-Cd cells and batteries . 30
C.3 Storage at a collection site . 31
C.4 Design of end-use products and instruction manuals. 31
Bibliography . 32

Figure A.1 – Taiwan (Province of China) collection symbol . 20
Figure A.2 – Crossed-out wheeled bin symbol indicating "separate collection" for all
batteries and accumulators . 23
Figure A.3 – Symbols for collection and recycling of batteries in Brazil . 25

Table A.1 – Relevant secondary battery specific laws and regulations . 18
Table A.2 – Products subject to Article 4, paragraph 1 of the Minamata Convention on
Mercury . 19
Table A.3 – Target and restriction of mercury (Japan) . 21

– 4 – IEC 63218:2021 © IEC 2021
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
SECONDARY CELLS AND BATTERIES CONTAINING ALKALINE OR OTHER
NON-ACID ELECTROLYTES – SECONDARY LITHIUM, NICKEL CADMIUM
AND NICKEL-METAL HYDRIDE CELLS AND BATTERIES FOR PORTABLE
APPLICATIONS – GUIDANCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS

FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and
in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports,
Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC Publication(s)”). Their
preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with
may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence between
any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of patent
rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
IEC 63218 has been prepared by subcommittee 21A: Secondary cells and batteries containing
alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes, of IEC technical committee 21: Secondary cells and
batteries. It is an International Standard.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
FDIS Report on voting
21A/763/FDIS 21A/768/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.

This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/standardsdev/publications.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to
the specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
IMPORTANT – The "colour inside" logo on the cover page of this document indicates that it
contains colours which are considered to be useful for the correct understanding of its
contents. Users should therefore print this document using a colour printer.

– 6 – IEC 63218:2021 © IEC 2021
INTRODUCTION
Secondary batteries, such as secondary lithium, nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd) and nickel-metal
hydride cells and batteries, consume a large amount of non-renewable resources like copper,
manganese, lithium, and nickel. In addition to that, Ni-Cd cells and batteries include hazardous
material like cadmium as a negative electrode. Nevertheless, there is no international
environmental standard for secondary batteries.
The primary purpose of this document is to contribute to improving environmental sustainability
by providing:
a) basic consideration and information relating to the environmental aspects and
environmental impact of secondary cells and batteries;
b) basic guidance for the collection and recycling of secondary cells and batteries;
c) basic guidance for environmental impact assessment across all life cycle stages for the
designing and manufacturing of secondary cells and batteries;
d) useful information for interested parties regarding regulations on secondary cells and
batteries.
Additionally various countries and regions have their own environmental regulations for
secondary cells and batteries. These differing regulations could lead to trade barriers in the
future. Therefore, the secondary purpose of this document is to avoid potential trade barrier
issues by providing countries and regions that lack secondary battery collection and recycling
regulations with guidance with which they can establish harmonized standardization with the
international standard.
This document is not intended to be applied for the certification of specific products.
This document provides guidance and recommendations for the collection, recycling,
environmental impact assessment, including design, manufacturing, transportation, storage and
disposal of secondary cells and batteries.
Collection and recycling are activities that are conducted across national borders. Therefore,
international standards are necessary in addition to transport regulations.
The expected users of this document are:
1) cell and battery manufacturers, end-product manufacturers, recycling organizations,
transport organizations and distributors;
2) national, regional, and local authorities that establish the regulation of the collection and
recycling, environmental impact assessment, including design, manufacturing,
transportation, storage and disposal of secondary cells and batteries;
3) national, regional, and local authorities that revise the regulation of the collection and
recycling, environmental impact assessment, including design, manufacturing,
transportation, storage and disposal of secondary cells and batteries.
However, this document does not preclude other stakeholders from using this document.
National and regional standards, regulations and voluntary stewardship programmes are given
priority in the matters covered in this document.

SECONDARY CELLS AND BATTERIES CONTAINING ALKALINE OR OTHER
NON-ACID ELECTROLYTES – SECONDARY LITHIUM, NICKEL CADMIUM
AND NICKEL-METAL HYDRIDE CELLS AND BATTERIES FOR PORTABLE
APPLICATIONS – GUIDANCE ON ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS

1 Scope
This document provides requirements and recommendations on environmental aspects of
secondary lithium, nickel cadmium and nickel-metal hydride cells and batteries for portable
applications (hereafter referred to as “relevant secondary cells and batteries”).
Relevant secondary cells and batteries are specified within the scopes of IEC 61960-3,
IEC 61960-4, IEC 61951-1, and IEC 61951-2.
NOTE Portable applications are defined in IEC 61960-3 as comprising hand-held equipment, transportable
equipment, and movable equipment. See IEC 61960-3 for examples.
This document is not intended to be applied to batteries embedded in end-use products. Once
the embedded battery is removed from an end-use product, this document becomes applicable
to it.
The safety and control circuits as well as cases associated with relevant secondary batteries,
except for those forming part of an end-use product, are covered by this document as parts of
the relevant secondary batteries.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 62133-2:2017, Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid
electrolytes – Safety requirements for portable sealed secondary lithium cells, and for batteries
made from them, for use in portable applications – Part 2: Lithium systems
IEC 62133-2:2017/AMD1:—
IEC 62902, Secondary cells and batteries – Marking symbols for identification of their chemistry
ISO 7000, Graphical symbols for use on equipment – Registered symbols
(available at http://www.graphical-symbols.info/equipment)
ISO 14021:2016, Environmental labels and declarations – Self-declared environmental claims
(Type II environmental labelling)
ISO 14040:2006, Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and
framework
___________
Under preparation. Stage at the time of publication: IEC FDIS 62133-2:2017/AMD1:2021

– 8 – IEC 63218:2021 © IEC 2021
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
product
any goods or service
[SOURCE: ISO 14050:2020, 3.5.12]
3.2
waste battery
battery which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard
3.3
environment
surroundings in which an organization operates, including air, water, land, natural resources,
flora, fauna, humans and their interrelationships
Note 1 to entry: Surroundings in this context extend from within an organization to the global system.
[SOURCE: ISO 14050:2020, 3.2.2, modified – Note to entry added.]
3.4
environmental aspect
element of a product that, during its life cycle, can interact with the environment
3.5
environmental impact
change to the environment, wholly or partly resulting from a product environmental aspect
3.6
environmental impact assessment
process to determine the magnitude and significance of environmental impacts within the
confines of the goals, scope, and objectively defined in the life cycle assessment
3.7
life cycle
consecutive and interlinked stages from raw material acquisition or generation from natural
resources to final disposal
[SOURCE: ISO 14050:2020, 3.6.1]
3.8
life cycle thinking
LCT
consideration of all relevant environmental aspects during the entire life cycle of products
[SOURCE: IEC Guide 109:2012, 3.10]

3.9
life cycle assessment
LCA
compilation and assessment of the inputs, outputs and the potential environment impacts of a
product system throughout its life cycle
[SOURCE: ISO 14050:2020, 3.6.2]
3.10
input
material or energy which enters a product system at any stage, from raw acquisition to final
disposal
3.11
output
material or energy which leaves a product system at any stage, from raw acquisition to final
disposal
3.12
end of life
EOL
life cycle stage of a product starting when it is finally removed from its intended use-phase
[SOURCE: IEC 62075:2012, 3.4, modified – The symbol has been added and "removed from a
use stage" has been replaced with "finally removed from its intended use-phase" in the
definition.]
3.13
hazardous substance
substance that has, according to defined classification criteria, the potential for adversely
impacting human health and/or the environment
Note 1 to entry: The criteria for determining whether a substance is classified as hazardous are defined by law or
regulation.
[SOURCE: IEC Guide 109:2012, 3.6]
3.14
recycling
processing of plastics waste materials for the original purpose or for other purposes, excluding
energy recovery
[SOURCE: ISO 15270:2008, 3.30]
3.15
recycling efficiency
ratio obtained by dividing the mass of output fractions accounting for recycling by the mass of
the waste batteries input fraction expressed as a percentage
3.16
reuse
cell or battery life extension process which occurs after the EOL stage of end-use products has
been reached
Note 1 to entry: Term entries 3.17 "originally intended reuse" and 3.18 "originally unintended reuse" are specific
types of reuse.
– 10 – IEC 63218:2021 © IEC 2021
3.17
originally intended reuse
operation by which secondary batteries that are not waste are used again in the same
equipment as when first placed on the market as originally intended from the design stage, after
refurbishing (intended refurbishing), or used again in equipment different from that when first
placed on the market, but as originally intended from the design stage (intended repurposing)
Note 1 to entry: The term "repair" covers any process to recover the original performance of a secondary battery
during first use, and "refurbishing" covers any process to recover original (or comparable) performance of a
secondary battery after use in end-use equipment EOL.
3.18
originally unintended reuse
operation by which secondary batteries that are not waste are used again in the same
equipment as when first placed on the market, but not as originally intended at the design stage,
after refurbishing (unintended refurbishing), or used again in equipment different from that when
first placed on the market, and not as originally intended at the design stage (unintended
repurposing)
Note 1 to entry: The term "repair" covers any process to recover the original performance of a secondary battery
during first use, and "refurbishing" covers any process to recover original (or comparable) performance of a
secondary battery after use in end-use equipment EOL.
3.19
secondary cell
basic manufactured unit providing a source of electrical energy by direct conversion of chemical
energy, that consists of electrodes, separators, electrolyte, container and terminals, and that is
designed to be charged electrically
3.20
secondary battery
assembly of secondary cell(s) which may include associated safety and control circuits and
case, ready for use as a source of electrical energy characterized by its voltage, size, terminal
arrangement, capacity and rate capability
Note 1 to entry: The term "secondary battery" includes single cell batteries.
3.21
portable cell
cell intended for assembly in a portable battery
3.22
portable battery
battery for use in an end-use product or in an appliance which is conveniently hand-carried
3.23
lithium ion battery
Li-ion battery
secondary battery with an organic solvent electrolyte and positive and negative electrodes
which utilize an intercalation or insertion compound in which lithium is stored
Note 1 to entry: A lithium ion battery does not contain lithium metal.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-482:2004, 482-05-07, modified – The second preferred term "Li-ion
battery" has been added, and the words "or insertion" have been added to the definition.]

3.24
nickel cadmium battery
Ni-Cd battery
secondary battery with an alkaline electrolyte, a positive electrode containing nickel hydroxide
and a negative electrode of cadmium
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-482:2004, 482-05-02, modified – The term "nickel oxide cadmium
battery" has been replaced with "Ni-Cd battery" and the words "nickel oxide" have been
replaced with "nickel hydroxide" in the definition.]
3.25
nickel-metal hydride battery
Ni-MH battery
secondary battery with an electrolyte of aqueous potassium hydroxide, a positive electrode
containing nickel as nickel hydroxide and a negative electrode of hydrogen in the form of a
metal hydride
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-482:2004, 482-05-08, modified – The term "Ni-MH battery" has been
added.]
3.26
carbon footprint
amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as the result of activities, usually
expressed in equivalent tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2). A standard concerning carbon footprint
is under development (IEC 63369).
4 General considerations
Every cell or battery has some effect on the environment. And the process of anticipating or
identifying a battery's environmental effects is complex. This is because these effects can occur
at all stages of the product's life cycle and can be global, regional, local, or a combination of all
three.
This document approaches environmental aspects and considerations as follows:
a) by identifying the critical environmental aspects of secondary cells and batteries according
to the principles of life cycle thinking that are described in ISO Guide 64;
b) by the use of generally accepted environmental strategies listed in IEC Guide 109;
c) by considering that although attempts to address a given environmental effect can have
consequences at any or all of the stages of a battery's life cycle, a battery's environmental
effects should be balanced against other factors, including function, performance, safety
and health, cost, marketability, and quality.
5 Requirements and recommendations
5.1 General
Secondary cells or batteries contain valuable substances and/or hazardous substances. In
order to prevent the emission of hazardous substances into the environment, and to prevent
the disposal of valuable materials, end-of-life secondary batteries should be managed by the
following methods:
a) restriction of environmentally hazardous substances (5.3);
b) marking (5.4);
c) collection and sorting (5.5);
d) recycling (5.6).
– 12 – IEC 63218:2021 © IEC 2021
The requirements and recommendations in this document other than those of 5.1 a) and 5.3
are not applied for small secondary coin cells which meet both the following conditions:
– there is insufficient space for the marking requirements in 5.1 b), and the collection and
recycling of these small cells is not a practical means to save resources;
– if the internal resistance specified in Annex D of IEC 62133-2:2017 is greater than 3 Ω, the
safety tests of IEC 62133-2 are not applied to these cells owing to a low safety risk.
See Annex A, Annex B, and Annex C for examples of regional regulations applicable and not
applicable to batteries.
5.2 Environmental aspects of relevant secondary cells and batteries
5.2.1 Environmental aspects of relevant secondary cells and batteries including
valuable and/or hazardous metals
Ni-Cd, Ni-MH, and Li-ion cells and batteries contain non-renewable resources. Among them,
Li-ion cells and batteries use the greatest amount of resources as they are widely and
increasingly used in various applications.
Although secondary cells and batteries may contain hazardous metals, they are used in
essential applications, and therefore continue to be produced. Appropriate collection and
recycling should be in place in order to limit the environmental harm of such substances
contained in waste batteries.
Battery collection and recycling helps to save resources and increases supply security by
recovering valuable metals such as nickel and cobalt. The use of recycled metals from batteries
can reduce energy consumption resulting from mining for resources.
The items to be considered for an environmental impact assessment for relevant secondary
cells and batteries that include valuable and/or hazardous metals are provided in Clause 6.
5.2.2 Environmental aspects of relevant secondary cells and batteries other than
those specified in 5.2.1
For secondary batteries not specified in 5.2.1, environmental aspects should be assessed via
an environmental impact assessment (Clause 6, Clause 7).
5.3 Requirements and recommendations on environmental hazardous substances
5.3.1 Heavy metals in relevant secondary cells and batteries
a) Mercury content shall be no more than 0,000 5 % by weight.
b) Lead content should be no more than 0,004 % by weight.
c) Cadmium content should be no more than 0,002 % by weight (this is not applicable to nickel
cadmium batteries see 5.3.3).
d) Other materials such as nickel and cobalt but also the hazardous materials included in
electrolyte are to be considered.
NOTE 1 Nickel and cobalt compounds can be hazardous, but only in specific chemical compositions.
NOTE 2 The reason for this document using a "shall" statement for mercury but "should" statements for the other
heavy metals included in 5.3.1 is that in some countries it is law that mercury content in batteries may not exceed a
limit of 0,000 5 % by weight. However, for the other heavy metals included in 5.3.1, there are limits for the contents
in batteries, but a manufacturer can exceed the limits and mark the battery accordingly.
The contents limitation of each element is a percentage of the total weight of the relevant
secondary cells or batteries.
5.3.2 Analysis methods
Analysis for mercury, cadmium and lead content should be implemented based on IEC 62321,
IEC 62321-4, and IEC 62321-5.
5.3.3 Nickel cadmium cells and batteries
Nickel cadmium cells and batteries contain cadmium which is a hazardous substance. However,
most nickel cadmium cells for portable applications have a sealed structure, so that cadmium
is not exposed to the human body and can be used safely. See 5.3.1.
For example, nickel cadmium batteries perform well in low temperatures, do not have the risk
of sudden death, have a very high reliability and are widely used in emergency equipment
(e.g. emergency lighting, aviation, railways, etc.).
5.4 Marking
Marking according to battery chemistry is useful for improving sorting efficiency and ensuring
safety in the collection and recycling processes.
a) Cells and batteries with a volume of more than 900 cm
• Relevant secondary cells and batteries shall be marked according to IEC 62902:2019.
NOTE 1 The scope of IEC 62902:2019 covers secondary batteries with a volume of more than 900 cm³.
• The use of the recycling symbol specified in ISO 7000-1135:2004-01 shall be marked
according to ISO 14021.
NOTE 2 The recycling symbol ISO 7000-1135:2004-01 is used to indicate that the marked item or its material
is part of a recovery or recycling process.
b) Cells and batteries with a volume of 900 cm or less
• Relevant secondary cells and batteries shall be marked according to national or regional
regulations. If national or regional regulations are not available, the recycling symbol
specified in ISO 7000-1135:2004-01, shall be marked according to ISO 14021.
In countries or regions that require a marking different from those specified in this document,
that different marking should be used.
Markings should be placed on the outer surface of cells or batteries.
5.5 Collection and sorting
In countries and regions currently lacking secondary battery collection programmes, voluntary
and co-regulated stewardship programmes are encouraged and recommended. In order to
avoid possible safety issues, secondary battery collection programmes should follow good
practices related to hazardous waste management. Protection of terminals is recommended to
prevent short-circuits, which could result in a fire in the waste stream.
5.6 Recommendations to improve recycling possibilities
Recycling is the most useful means of preventing diffusion of hazardous substances and
effective utilization of non-renewable resources. However more efficient recycling technology
and systems are necessary in order to maximize the recycling potential of relevant secondary
cells and batteries.
The opportunities for recycling can be increased by the design of batteries and by the
development of more cost- and energy-efficient recycling technologies. The design of relevant
secondary cells and batteries can affect their recyclability through the selection of materials
that are compatible with recycling processes, as well as through form factors that result in the
easy separation of parts and materials.

– 14 – IEC 63218:2021 © IEC 2021
For efficient use of recycling time, the following considerations are recommended during the
design process:
a) avoiding inseparable composite materials;
b) minimizing the number of different materials used;
c) avoiding components, constituents, additional materials and surface treatments that can
create impediments to recycling;
d) using standardized elements, parts and components;
e) avoiding, as far as not functionally indispensable, the use of persistent hazardous
substances;
f) providing instructions and/or use labels, aimed at end users, for the appropriate end of life
operations, differentiating hazardous and non-hazardous waste.
6 Environmental impact assessment
6.1 Interaction with the environment during life cycle
6.1.1 General
Matters and approaches to be considered generally are described in ISO Guide 64:2008,
Clause 4.
A product's environmental impacts are related to the inputs that are used and consumed, the
processes employed and the outputs that are generated at all stages of the product life cycle.
Considerations for "input" and "output" environmental aspects are given in 6.1.2 and 6.1.3.
6.1.2 Input
6.1.2.1 Raw material
Regulations regarding batteries have been established in several countries and regions and
they restrict the manufacturing, and the placing on the market of batteries that contain restricted
substances. Taking into account relevant regulations is necessary when choosing raw materials
for battery production. (See Annex A.)
6.1.2.2 Energy
The longer a battery is in use, the better its environmental performance will be. In the case of
high performance batteries, their environmental performance may be high throughout the
battery's life cycle even considering the high amounts of energy required for production of raw
materials or components. Selection of battery type and calculation of cycle life should take into
consideration not only the energy capacity but also the output of equipment or end-of-discharge
voltage.
6.1.3 Output
6.1.3.1 Recycling of batteries
After use, relevant secondary cells and batteries should be recycled rather than being disposed
of as waste, because secondary batteries can contain hazardous substances and do contain
non-renewable resources.
...