Recycling lithium batteries for a sustainable future

New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) has highlighted that tapping into used batteries as a secondary lithium source not only helps reduce environmental impact but also secures access to this valuable resource.

The global lithium-ion battery market size is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 13%, reaching $87.5b by 2027, with lithium consumption forecast to increase from 390kt in 2020 to about 1600kt by 2026, according to ECU PhD student Sadia Afrin.

However, only about 20% of a lithium-ion battery’s capacity is used before the battery is no longer useable in electric vehicles, meaning those batteries end up in storage or on the landfill retaining nearly 80% of their lithium capacity.

The Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources has previously estimated that by 2035, Australia could be generating 137,000t of lithium battery waste annually.

ECU PhD student and first author Asad Ali says that for the end-of-life batteries, the obvious answer is recycling.

“By recycling these batteries, you can access not only the remaining lithium, which is already purified to near 99%, but you can also retrieve the nickel and the cobalt from these batteries,” he said.

While the lithium retrieved through the recycling process is unlikely to impact the lithium extraction or downstream sectors, Mr Ali notes that the recycling process offers significant environmental benefits when compared with the mining industry.

“Recycling processes can significantly reduce the extensive use of land, soil contamination, ecological footprint, water footprint, carbon footprint and harmful chemical release into the environment, thereby lowering greenhouse gas emissions and minimising waste,” he said.

ECU lecturer Muhammad Azhar says that while Australia holds one of the largest hard rock lithium reserves in the world, the recovery of lithium from end-of-life batteries could provide socio-economic benefits and fulfils environmental sustainability.

“The mining industry actually offers another source of retired and potentially end-of-life batteries, as the electrification of the mining industry gains momentum,” he said.

“ECU is exploring the second life of these retired lithium batteries.”

While the benefits of lithium-ion battery recycling appear obvious, Ms Afrin notes that there are still some challenges to be addressed.

“The rate of innovation significantly outstrips policy development, and the chemical make-up of the batteries also continuously evolve, which makes the recycling of these batteries more complicated,” she said.

“There is a definite need for investment into the right infrastructure in order to create this circular economy, but there are several Australian companies that are looking at the best ways to approach this.”