A report published by a clean transport and energy advocacy group highlights a troubling scenario for European Union battery recycling.
While there's potential to recover enough precious materials from used packs to lessen dependence on industry juggernaut China, recycling capacity in the EU and the UK is sadly 10 times below what's needed to meet goals for 2030 and beyond, per the research from Transport & Environment (T&E).
What's happening?
Many experts predict that battery recycling will be a bountiful industry as electric vehicle use increases worldwide. Data collector Statista projected it to reach more than $42 billion in market value by 2031.
EU regulations require industrial batteries to contain certain percentages of recycled lithium, cobalt, and other metals by early next decade. There are enough old packs and other related scraps to provide 14% of all lithium, 16% of nickel, and up to 17% of manganese by then. That's enough to supply metals for more than two million vehicles, according to Reuters and T&E.
However, the T&E research found that because of high energy costs and insufficient financial support, many planned recycling projects are stalled.
"Almost half are uncertain," Reuters reported.
Why is battery recycling important?
Foreign supply chains control much of the materials market for batteries, contributing to expensive and sometimes uncertain availability. T&E reported that recycling the metals in Europe can realize a 19% reduction in harmful, heat-trapping carbon dioxide production. The fumes are linked by NASA to increased risks for severe weather.
The alternative is using lithium materials mostly mined and refined in Australia, Chile, and China, according to Statista and Visual Capitalist.
While mining for battery materials is an invasive and polluting process, the packs still provide a cleaner energy source than dirty fuels, especially when powering EVs, per the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Better recycling can help to make them even cleaner.
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Cost 💰 What's being done to increase recycling?
Well-known companies, including Mercedes-Benz, are investing in battery recycling. Stateside, the U.S. government has pumped $62 million into battery recycling projects. At home, you can stop approximately 46 pounds of e-waste — the average each person in the U.S. produces each year — from entering a landfill by recycling it. Unique programs like Trashie's Tech Take Back Box are offering more opportunities with incentives.
In the EU, officials are set to meet early this year to review mining, processing, and recycling projects that need investment, according to Reuters.
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