There’s no doubt that lithium-ion batteries are shaping how we power the modern world.

Today batteries are produced in the billions (and increasing each year). They are found in most electronic devices, from smartphones to solar energy systems, electric vehicles, drones and more.

With increased use comes increased responsibility.

As each battery reaches the end of its lifecycle, the question of how they are disposed of or reused becomes more urgent.

In this article, we explore what happens to lithium-ion batteries when they are no longer fit for use and how we can address the growing need for proper recycling.

Why Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Matters

As essential as lithium-ion batteries are, they also pose a significant risk to the environment.

Many lithium-ion batteries contain toxic metals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese, which are harmful to both humans and delicate ecosystems. A large percentage of batteries end up in landfills, where they eventually leach their contents into the soil and water, contaminating the local area.

Additionally, lithium-ion batteries are known to catch fire if they are damaged. In fact, fires at waste facilities and landfills are increasingly being linked to lithium-ion batteries that have been improperly discarded.

For instance, a landfill site in the Pacific-Northwest reported 124 fires between June 2017 and December 2020, which were attributed to lithium-ion battery waste. And that’s just one facility.

Moreover, our planet only has a finite amount of valuable metals used in battery production. As the global appetite for these resources grows, so does the energy-intensive and environmentally damaging processes used to mine them.

According to recent estimates, only about five percent of global lithium-ion batteries are recycled. That’s a lot of precious resources going to waste when they could be reused.

If only a fraction of the discarded batteries were recycled, the economic benefits would be huge. Not only from the cost savings of using recovered materials, but also through the reduced need to mine fresh materials.The

Recycling Process: How It Works

So what happens to the batteries that do go through the recycling process?

To understand this, we can look specifically at electric vehicle (EV) batteries:

1. First, the spent EV batteries are gathered from vehicles and then completely discharged to lower the risk of fire or explosion.
2. The batteries are then disassembled and sorted. At this stage, the batteries are carefully taken apart in a safe environment, and each module and cell is removed. These are then shredded to expose the inner materials.
3. Next comes the material recovery process, which is carried out using a few different methods:
   1. Pyrometallurgy: Smelting at high temperatures to extract metals like nickel and cobalt.
   2. Hydrometallurgy: Acids and solvents are used to leach out metals.
   3. Mechanochemical: Mechanical mills are used to induce a chemical reaction to recover lithium carbonate and other metals.
   4. Direct recycling: Each component is extracted without extensive processing, and some materials reconditioned for reuse. Direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries is largely in development, although significant progress has been made.
4. Once the materials are fully recovered, they go through a purification process and are then ready for use in new batteries.

Current Challenges in Battery Recycling

On the surface, recycling lithium-ion batteries looks like a straightforward process. However, significant barriers stand in the way and are preventing the practice from becoming widespread.

Costly and Complicated

One major obstacle is the lack of standardized battery designs.

Currently, batteries are manufactured in various sizes, configurations, and using different chemistries. This diversity means there is no universal way of breaking down the batteries and extracting the materials, which makes the existing process difficult, time-consuming and costly.

Battery recycling is expensive. Pyrometallurgy and hydrometallurgy require specialized facilities, are resource-intensive and are often inefficient. They also consume a lot of resources, adding to the cost and largely making them inefficient.

Lack of Infrastructure and Regulations

Another issue is the lack of infrastructure required to carry out battery recycling at scale.

Many regions do not have facilities for battery recycling, and there are few established logistics networks to enable the safe transportation of batteries to existing facilities.

At the same time, the growth of EVs and energy storage systems is far outpacing the development of recycling facilities.

Within the next decade, more than 1.2 million tons of lithium-ion batteries are expected to reach end-of-life. Yet, without proper recycling facilities, they will have nowhere to go and no capacity to manage them properly, so they’ll simply continue to pile up in landfills, which is a rather sobering thought.

Additionally, recycling infrastructure is not the only thing lagging behind battery production.

Regulation and compliance have also failed to keep up with the growing demand for lithium-ion power.

While new regulations are emerging (such as mandatory recycling targets and EU digital battery passports), it’s proving difficult to standardize them across regions.

Safety Concerns

As we have already established, lithium-ion batteries come with safety concerns.

Posing a risk in landfills is one thing, but a major hurdle for recycling is ensuring spent batteries can be transported safely.

Batteries are considered dangerous goods and must be transported as such. Carriers must be licensed and trained to legally transport batteries while complying with federal regulations under the Universal Waste Rule.

However, transportation is only part of the safety equation.

Processing lithium-ion batteries is also dangerous, and exposure to hazardous materials must be carefully managed. Therefore, there is a need to develop safer handling practices and protective technologies.

Innovations and Industry Leaders

Despite these challenges, innovation is underway and a growing number of startups are working on the problem. Additionally, automotive and tech companies are starting to invest more and more in “closed-loop” systems.

For instance:

• Tesla is at the forefront of battery recycling innovation and already recycles 100% of its batteries within its own facilities.
• BMW and Redwood Materials have established a partnership to recycle spent batteries extracted from BMW’s electric and hybrid vehicles. Redwood Materials has set an ambitious target to ultimately return 95%-98% of minerals and metals to battery production. This initiative is set to arrive in the U.S. by 2026.
• Ecobat, a global leader in battery recycling, has commissioned a recycling plant in Casa Grande, Arizona. The plant will be capable of processing 10,000 tons of lithium-ion batteries per year. The company is also setting up similar facilities in the UK and Germany.
• Another leading battery recycler, Ascend Elements, has secured $162 million to advance its construction of a recycling facility in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.

On a state and federal level, several initiatives are also underway:

• The U.S. Department of Energy has established a blueprint (PDF) aimed at enabling large-scale and closed-loop battery recycling. Long-term goals include a 90% recycling rate and minimum requirements for recycled content in new batteries.
• The Environmental Protection Agency is developing a U.S.-wide standardization for battery collection and labeling guidelines. The initiative aims to optimize battery collection, transportation and recycling.
• California AB-2440 Responsible Battery Recycling Act, extends producer responsibility and now requires battery producers to organize and oversee the collection, transportation and recycling of batteries sold within the state.

The Road Ahead: Opportunities for a Circular Battery Economy

Looking ahead, the transition to a closed-loop battery economy has opened up a wealth of opportunities.

Future Trends in Design

Where battery design is concerned, ease of disassembly is paramount.

To facilitate this, manufacturers such as Tesa are starting to adopt “debond on demand” technologies. These involve reversible adhesives that allow battery packs to come apart with ease and enable the efficient separation of their components.

We can also look forward to the growing shift toward bio-based and environmentally friendly materials being used in battery components like binders and electrolytes.

For instance, Flint, a prominent Singaporean battery manufacturer, has released a paper battery that can fully decompose within six weeks without environmental harm. While it’s currently only suitable for small electronics, it paves the way to understanding how the technology can be adapted for EV batteries.

New battery chemistries are being developed to improve recyclability and safety. Solid-state and lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries are being developed for easier material recovery and less hazardous disposal.

Dry coating is another exciting development. This process involves pressing dry powders together to create the battery components. Not only is this process cheaper and less toxic, but the pressed powder is far easier (and less energy-intensive) to pull apart, sort and recycle.

Manufacturers, Buyers and Recyclers Unite

For a true circular battery economy, manufacturers and the companies that rely on batteries for their products and services must start working more closely together and in collaboration with recycling organizations.

The Role of the Consumer

For consumers, education is key, and awareness must be increased so consumers fully understand the impact that improper battery disposal can have. Teaching consumers about responsible disposal, such as taking batteries to designated collection points, is critical.

Beyond disposal, consumers can also influence battery sustainability through their purchasing decisions. As awareness grows, many individuals will begin to favor brands that invest in circular economy practices, pushing manufacturers to design for recyclability.

The power of this should not be underestimated.

Think back to the public response to ozone damage caused by CFCs in old refrigerators. Once people understood the environmental impact, global action swiftly followed. Much like the public outcry over ozone-depleting CFCs spurred global action, consumer awareness today can drive meaningful change in battery recycling, innovation in battery design and sustainable consumption.

Public Policy and Global Collaboration

Just as international agreements helped phase out ozone-depleting substances, effective battery recycling requires strong public policy and global cooperation.

Governments will play a key role in setting and enforcing regulations that incentivize sustainable design and standardization across design, labeling and recycling protocols.

For instance, the EU Battery Regulation and the global Extended Producer Responsibility laws are already pushing manufacturers to adopt a closed-loop system.

However, none of this can truly happen without extensive global collaboration.

This is because the supply chains for battery materials are international. Lithium mined in South America may be refined in Asia and then used in battery production facilities based in Europe.

Without coordinated efforts, valuable resources are at risk of unsafe disposal and being lost to landfills.

By aligning technology and regulations, nations can work together to build a closed-loop economy.

Conclusion

The urgency of advancing battery recycling cannot be understated.

As the world increasingly adopts widespread electric mobility, the environmental impact and the dangers of battery production grow. Recycling offers a powerful solution, not only for sustainability, but for economic and safety benefits too.

Every stakeholder has a role to play in achieving battery sustainability – from consumers and manufacturers to policymakers and recyclers.

With coordinated effort and innovation, the industry can close the loop and look forward to a less wasteful future. The future is electric – and together, we can make it truly sustainable.