Congrats to our partner EurA, who have recently released their first article about paving the way for more sustainable lithium-ion battery recycling! What is it all about?
This study looks at how companies around the world currently recycle lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) — the kind used in electric cars and many electronic devices. The researchers compared different recycling methods based on how well they work technically, how much they cost, and how they affect the environment.
To do this, they built one flexible model that combines data from nine existing industrial recycling systems. These were carefully analyzed using life cycle assessment (LCA). The team made small adjustments to make the comparisons fair and consistent.
The analysis showed that the level of detail and the recycling steps reported in these studies varied. However, one clear pattern emerged: hydrometallurgical recycling — which uses chemical solutions to recover metals — seems to be better for the environment. This is because it can recover a wider range of materials.
Finally, the study compared two ways of calculating environmental impacts: the traditional End-of-Life (EoL) method and a newer Circular Footprint Formula (CFF). Both approaches offer insights into how recycling can make battery production more sustainable.
Read the full article here:
Gornik M, Habermeier D, Sojka R, Bucher N, Ott D: Paving the way for more sustainable lithium ion battery recycling routes. 2025, Cleaner Environmental Systems, Vol 19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100344