Structural changes needed

Effective battery recycling processes are crucial to reduce Europe's dependence on raw material imports and improve battery sustainability. In the study "Economic and structural challenges of lithium-ion battery recycling in Europe: A stakeholder-based assessment", scientists from RWTH Aachen University examined the entire battery value chain. Their conclusion: current recycling practices are not economical. Instead, they propose a decentralized structure with regional pretreatment facilities and centralized chemical processing centers to shorten transportation distances, reduce costs, and improve scalability. The study was published in "Wastemanagement".