# Chile’s EPR Law for Batteries: Producer Guide | EcoBaterías > What does Chile’s EPR law require of battery producers and importers? What binds you today, which targets the draft decree proposes and how to prepare now. Canonical: https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-ley-rep.html · Language: en · Alternate (es): https://ecobaterias.org/articulo-ley-rep.html · Updated: 2026-10-09 Regulation # Chile’s EPR law and batteries: the guide every producer should read EcoBaterías is a Chilean company that recycles, repairs and reuses lithium batteries and solar panels. By the EcoBaterías technical teamPublished August 12, 2026Updated October 9, 2026Reviewed by the EPR compliance lead Chile’s Extended Producer Responsibility law (Ley REP, Law No. 20,920) is in force and requires producers to finance the collection and recovery of their products, but large batteries still have no targets: they will be set by a decree the Ministry of the Environment must propose before January 29, 2027. What is enforceable today is handling end-of-life batteries as hazardous waste, with a licensed manager and documented traceability. Updated October 9, 2026 · Reviewed by the EcoBaterías technical team. - **In force today:** Ley REP (Law No. 20,920) and Supreme Decree (DS) 148/2003 - **Targets already published:** Batteries, electrical and electronic equipment and photovoltaic modules (DS 22/2025) - **Large batteries:** Draft decree in progress, no enforceable targets - **Ministry deadline:** January 29, 2027 to propose the battery decree ## What already binds you, before any target One misreading is expensive: assuming that with no published targets there is nothing to do. Chile’s Extended Producer Responsibility law (Ley REP, Law No. 20,920) has been in force since 2016 and sets the principle: whoever places a priority product on the Chilean market finances and organizes its collection and recovery once it becomes waste. What is missing for large batteries are the numerical targets, not the framework. The full framework is developed in [the complete guide to Chile’s EPR law for batteries](https://ecobaterias.org/en/chile-epr-law-batteries.html). In parallel runs an obligation that is enforceable today and depends on no future decree: an end-of-life lithium battery is handled as hazardous waste unless a characterization shows otherwise. Supreme Decree (DS) 148/2003 subjects it to storage, transport and reporting rules, and requires a management plan from anyone generating more than 12 metric tons of hazardous waste per year (or more than 12 kg of acutely toxic waste). Handing it to someone who is not authorized is not a shortcut: it is the part of the file that cannot be rebuilt afterwards. So the useful question is not “when does this apply to me?” but “can I document today where each batch ended up?” The criteria for choosing a receiver are in [how to recognize a licensed lithium battery waste manager](https://ecobaterias.org/en/authorised-battery-waste-manager-chile.html). ## What already has targets: DS 22/2025 Supreme Decree (DS) 22/2025 was published on May 7, 2026 and its targets become enforceable 24 months later, that is, from May 2028. It covers batteries, electrical and electronic equipment and photovoltaic modules. If your company imports consumer electronics or solar panels, your calendar is already fixed. Collection targets published in Supreme Decree (DS) 22/2025 | Category | Initial target | Final target | Status | |---|---|---|---| | Batteries and electrical and electronic equipment | 3% in year 1 | 45% from year 10 | In force, enforceable from May 2028 | | Photovoltaic modules | 10% in year 3 (2030) | 50% in year 10 (2037) | In force, enforceable from May 2028 | Source: [DS 22/2025, Ministry of the Environment, Diario Oficial](https://www.diariooficial.interior.gob.cl/) · 2026-09-18 One point is easy to miss: for photovoltaics the targets are measured against the estimated waste of the year, not against what was placed on the market. The detail, with the full calendar, is in [Supreme Decree (DS) 22/2025 and the solar panel targets](https://ecobaterias.org/en/ds-22-2025-solar-panels-epr.html). ## The battery decree: what the draft proposes The draft supreme decree on batteries was approved by Res. Ex. 821/2026 on February 16, 2026 and was open for public consultation from February 25 to April 9, 2026, drawing 451 comments and 33 international queries. That volume explains the later revision of the text: Res. Ex. 4,225/2026, dated July 29, 2026, extended the Ministry of the Environment’s deadline to propose the decree to January 29, 2027. Everything that follows is therefore a proposal and may change. It is cited because it shows the direction of travel, not because it binds. Targets proposed in the draft battery decree | Category | Proposed scope | Initial target | Final target | |---|---|---|---| | Lead-acid (Art. 20) | All units, regardless of weight | 50% in year 1 | 90% in year 9 | | Lithium-ion (Art. 22) | Units of 5 kg or more | No target in years 1–2; 15% in year 3 | 50% from year 10 | Source: [draft battery decree, Ministry of the Environment (Res. Ex. 821/2026)](https://economiacircular.mma.gob.cl/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1.-RE-821-2026-Aprueba-Anteproyecto-REP-Baterias.pdf) · 2026-09-18 One nuance in the lithium-ion target deserves a second reading: the draft proposes that **at least 30% of the target be met through preparation for reuse**, not through recycling. In operational terms, part of compliance will require testing packs and deciding which can serve again, instead of sending them straight to the mill. That is exactly what [lithium battery testing](https://ecobaterias.org/en/diagnostico-baterias-litio.html), [pack refurbishment](https://ecobaterias.org/en/lithium-battery-refurbishment.html) and [second-life batteries](https://ecobaterias.org/en/second-life-batteries.html) are for. ## The other proposed duties, beyond the targets The draft does not stop at percentages. It assigns concrete tasks along the chain: - **Annual report (Art. 40).** Before May 31, through the single window of the RETC (Chile’s pollutant release and transfer register), for industrial consumers and for storage installations above 1 MWh. - **Retailers (Art. 26).** Free take-back at stores larger than 400 m² that sell batteries. - **Vehicle workshops (Art. 29).** Collective management systems must collect at workshops, which sign up in a free register; this mostly affects lead-acid and hybrid and electric vehicle flows. - **Collection points (Art. 28).** A minimum network set by each municipality’s population. - **Exemptions (Art. 5).** Micro-enterprises under Law No. 20,416 and anyone placing less than 600 kg per year on the market. Source: [draft battery decree, Ministry of the Environment (Res. Ex. 821/2026)](https://economiacircular.mma.gob.cl/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1.-RE-821-2026-Aprueba-Anteproyecto-REP-Baterias.pdf) · 2026-09-18 ## What arriving late actually costs Enforcement risk exists and sits in the law itself, but it is rarely what hurts most. The three costs we see most often are different. The first is capacity: the Chilean market is small and lithium-ion recycling barely exists yet, so anyone going out to contract in the same month the target becomes enforceable will be competing for scarce capacity. The second is the file: traceability cannot be rebuilt backwards; if the batch left without a waybill and without a certificate, there is no way to evidence it later. The third is physical: badly stored lithium batteries are a fire risk, and insurers know it. - **1,100 t** — of lithium-ion battery waste estimated for 2026 in Chile - **44,400 t** — of lead-acid battery waste estimated for 2026 - **≈0%** — of lithium-ion batteries are recycled in Chile today - **2027-01-29** — Ministry of the Environment deadline to propose the battery decree Source: [regulatory impact assessment of the draft battery decree, Ministry of the Environment (Res. Ex. 821/2026)](https://consultasciudadanas.mma.gob.cl/portal) · 2026-09-18 ## How to prepare without waiting for the decree 1. **Map the flow.** Which chemistries and formats leave your operation, in what annual volume and from which sites. Without that figure, any quote is guesswork. 2. **Sort by route, not by warehouse.** Whatever can be repaired or reused is tested before a decision is made; whatever has no possible use goes to recovery. That split is what could later count towards the preparation-for-reuse fraction, if the final decree keeps that rule. 3. **Formalize collection.** Licensed hazardous-waste transport, a waybill per batch, a SIDREP filing (Chile’s national hazardous-waste declaration and tracking system) and weighing on intake. This is the link where traceability is most often lost; the step-by-step process is on [battery collection and transport](https://ecobaterias.org/en/battery-solar-panel-collection-transport.html). 4. **Keep the paperwork.** Each batch gets its [valorization certificate](https://ecobaterias.org/en/lithium-battery-recycling-service.html), issued by the authorized receiving facility, with the associated traceability: that is the document that backs the report. If you still do not know where to hand over the material, the route map is in [where to recycle lithium batteries in Chile](https://ecobaterias.org/en/where-to-recycle-lithium-batteries-chile.html); for company batches, in [lithium battery recycling for companies](https://ecobaterias.org/en/lithium-battery-recycling-service.html), with recycling managed with authorized receiving facilities at 22 UF per tonne plus VAT (19%); the UF is Chile’s inflation-indexed accounting unit. And if you want the market context behind these figures, it is in [the Chilean market for batteries and critical minerals](https://ecobaterias.org/en/mercado.html). ## Frequently asked questions ### From when must I meet battery collection targets? Large batteries have no enforceable targets yet: they will be set by a decree still in progress, which the Ministry of the Environment must propose before January 29, 2027. Small batteries, electrical and electronic equipment and photovoltaic modules do have targets under DS 22/2025, enforceable from May 2028. ### So what is binding on me today? The hazardous waste rules. An end-of-life lithium battery is stored for 6 months at most, transported and reported under Supreme Decree (DS) 148/2003, and must be handed to a manager holding a health authorization. Above 12 tonnes of hazardous waste per year a management plan is also required. ### Do my company’s phone batteries fall under the battery decree? No. The draft limits its scope to units of 5 kg or more and to all lead-acid batteries. Units under 5 kg that are not lead-acid are treated as small batteries, that is, under Supreme Decree (DS) 22/2025. ### Can I meet the target through reuse instead of recycling? Partly, and the draft pushes in that direction: it proposes that at least 30% of the lithium-ion target be met through preparation for reuse. That is why it pays to test packs before deciding their destination, rather than sending them all to recovery. ### Which document do I need for reporting? The valorization certificate for each batch, with its associated traceability: who collected it, how much it weighed, what was recovered and on what date. It is the document that backs the producer’s report; it is issued by the authorized receiving facility that takes the batch, and EcoBaterías manages valorization with authorized receiving facilities. Written by the EcoBaterías technical team. Every figure in this article comes from [the canonical figures table](https://ecobaterias.org/datos/estadisticas.json) and carries a linked source; the draft targets are always cited as proposals, never as binding rules. ## Sources - Library of the National Congress of Chile, [Law No. 20,920, framework for waste management and extended producer responsibility](https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=1090894). - Ministry of the Environment, DS 22/2025, published in the [Diario Oficial](https://www.diariooficial.interior.gob.cl/) on May 7, 2026. - Ministry of the Environment, [draft supreme decree on batteries and its regulatory impact assessment (Res. Ex. 821/2026)](https://consultasciudadanas.mma.gob.cl/portal), with the extension granted by [Res. Ex. 4,225/2026](https://mma.gob.cl/ley-rep-se-extiende-el-plazo-para-la-elaboracion-del-decreto-supremo-de-baterias/). - Library of the National Congress of Chile, [Hazardous waste management regulation, Supreme Decree (DS) 148/2003](https://www.bcn.cl/leychile/navegar?idNorma=226458), arts. 25 and 31. - Publishable figures and their attribution: [datos/estadisticas.json](https://ecobaterias.org/datos/estadisticas.json) by EcoBaterías, cut-off 2026-09-18. ## Quote your EPR management before the targets bite Tell us your approximate annual volume and which sites the material comes from. We reply within 48 business hours with pickup coordinated with licensed hazardous-waste carriers, per-batch traceability and valorization certificates from the authorized receiving facility. - Reply within 48 business hours - Pickup coordinated with licensed hazardous-waste carriers across Chile - Technical report for every batch - In-house testing lab for batteries and panels [Quote my EPR management](https://ecobaterias.org/en/contacto.html?segmento=rep) [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/56987616071?text=Hi%2C%20I'd%20like%20a%20quote%20for%20managing%20our%20lithium%20batteries.) [+56 9 8761 6071](tel:+56987616071) ## Keep reading ### [Complete guide to Chile’s EPR law for batteries](https://ecobaterias.org/en/chile-epr-law-batteries.html) The regulatory pillar: what is in force today, what the draft decree proposes and how compliance is evidenced. ### [Services for lithium batteries and solar panels](https://ecobaterias.org/en/servicios.html) Testing, repair, refurbishment, second life, recycling and coordinated pickup, with a per-batch valorization certificate from the authorized receiving facility for your reporting. ### [Where to recycle lithium batteries in Chile](https://ecobaterias.org/en/where-to-recycle-lithium-batteries-chile.html) Drop-off routes by battery type and volume, and what to ask of whoever receives them. --- contacto@ecobaterias.org · WhatsApp +56 9 8761 6071 · Santiago and Viña del Mar, Chile. EcoBaterías is a Chilean company that recycles, repairs and reuses lithium batteries and solar panels.