Lithium costs a lot of money—so why aren’t we recycling lithium batteries?

Earth Day is April 22, and its usual message—take care of our planet—has been given added urgency by the challenges highlighted in the latest IPCC report. This year, Ars is taking a look at the technologies we normally cover, from cars to chipmaking, and finding out how we can boost their sustainability and minimize their climate impact.

Lithium-ion batteries are used in electric vehicles, power tools, and watches. The materials used to make them are finite, and they have environmental, humanitarian, and economic implications. A recent study shows that most batteries never get recycled.

These batteries are made of a lot of metals. The cost of raw lithium is seven times what you would pay for the same weight in lead, but almost all lead-acid batteries get recycled. There is something beyond economics at play.

There are good reasons why the recycling of the batteries hasn't happened yet. It's a good thing that some companies expect to change that since recycling batteries will be an essential part of the renewable energy transition.

Lead-acid lessons

Is the difference between batteries extreme? The average price of one metric ton of battery-grade lithium carbonate was $17,000 in 2021, compared to $2,425 for lead North American markets, according to a report by the International Energy Agency.

In terms of fresh material supply, the balance of recycling is counterintuitive. According to a recent United States Geological Survey report, there are 89 million tons of global sources of lithium. The global lead supply was 22 times higher than the one for lithium.

The Journal of the Indian Institute of Science found that less than 1 percent of lead-acid batteries get recycled in the US and EU, compared to 99 percent of Li-ion batteries. According to the study, recycling challenges include constantly evolving battery technology, costly shipping of dangerous materials, and inadequate government regulation.

Advertisement

Emma Nehrenheim, chief environmental officer at Northvolt batteries, said everyone expected lead to be phased out by now, but she attributes its continued economic success to high recycling rates.

Every time you buy a battery for your car, you have to give the whole battery back, and then it goes into the recycling chain, according to the lead author of the study. He said that this hasn't worked for batteries with many formats. Every one to two years, the technology for lithium batteries changes, he said.

The challenges of recycling are a must. Lead-acid batteries hold less energy in a smaller package. They are crucial for decarbonizing transportation and enabling a widespread transition to renewable energy by helping ensure a predictable supply of power from otherwise intermittent wind and solar. It would take major improvements in battery technology to achieve these transitions on a global scale.

Since 2020, global lithium consumption has increased 33 percent. If renewable energy goals are to be reached, the demand for lithium is expected to grow 43-fold.

The use of these batteries may be limited by other materials. The batteries contain materials that are subject to potential supply crunch, like nickel andcobalt. If you want to build a battery, an old battery has the same components.