Recycling lithium-ion batteries to recover their critical metals has significantly lower environmental impacts than mining virgin metals, according to a new Stanford University lifecycle analysis published in Nature Communications. On a large scale, recycling could also help relieve the long-term supply insecurity – physically and geopolitically – of critical battery minerals.
EPA recommends that households who generate used lithium batteries treat them with care, isolate the terminals (e.g., cover the terminals with non-metallic tape while keeping the label legible, or individually bag batteries), and protect the batteries from damage.
Can battery recycling help reduce supply insecurity?
On a large scale, recycling could also help relieve the long-term supply insecurity – physically and geopolitically – of critical battery minerals. Lithium-ion battery recyclers source materials from two main streams: defective scrap material from battery manufacturers, and so-called “dead” batteries, mostly collected from workplaces.
Is lithium-ion battery recycling better than mining?
ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 31 January 2025. < / releases / 2025 / 01 / 250131194431.htm>. Researchers compared the environmental impacts of lithium-ion battery recycling to mining for new materials and found that recycling significantly outperforms mining in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and energy use.
How can NREL improve direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries?
As part of the ReCell Center, NREL is working with Argonne National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory to improve direct recycling of lithium-ion batteries, which uses less energy and captures more of the critical materials.
Instead, EPA recommends that all household lithium batteries be dropped off at battery collection sites (e.g., often located at electronics retailers) or household hazardous waste collection facilities for proper management. The EPA Used Lithium-Ion Batteries web page offers resources to find a battery recycling location near you.
Lithium-ion battery recyclers source materials from two main streams: defective scrap material from battery manufacturers, and so-called “dead” batteries, mostly collected from workplaces. The recycling process extracts lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, and aluminum from these sources.