The battery recycling evolution
According to Steve Christensen, executive director at Responsible Battery Coalition, over the past decade, the recyclability of vehicle batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), has shifted from a niche and underdeveloped process to a rapidly expanding industry driven by innovation, market growth and supportive regulations.
“In the early 2010s, recycling LIBs involved energy-intensive and emission-heavy methods that recovered very little usable material beyond primary metals,” Christensen said. “Today, most LIB recycling techniques produce no emissions and consume significantly less energy. Material recovery has greatly improved, but further advancements are necessary before achieving circularity on a commercial scale.”
Read more in American Recycler.
