The activity surrounding battery recycling is experiencing a clear acceleration: sector events, new plants, industrial integrations and circularity models are aligning the industry to recover critical materials and reduce dependence on raw materials.
From Europe to America, passing through Asia, initiatives are multiplying that strengthen the supply chain with applications for recycling batteries and electronic devices.
Valencia, a meeting point for the recycling chain
The ICBR international conference brings together in Valencia more than 600 professionals from across the value chain: mining, manufacturing, collection, repair and recycling, as well as regulators and original equipment manufacturers, in a program with two full sessions per day.
The International Steering Committee has designed an agenda with the most current challenges in battery recycling , critical raw material refining (CRM), direct recycling, innovative process approaches, carbon footprint and end-of-life battery reuse.
Highlights include a round table discussion on the circular economy of batteries in Spain , with the participation of leading collection entities such as Ecopilas, as well as technical workshops on lithium-ion safety and PFAS emissions in recycling operations.
The event is complemented by technical visits to industrial facilities and research centers, and an exhibition area that facilitates networking, knowledge exchange and the generation of business opportunities.
Technology and capacity: the new Princeton NuEnergy plant
Princeton NuEnergy (PNE) has launched a facility in the United States capable of continuously producing high-purity black mass from manufacturing scrap and mechanically treated batteries, with recovery yields exceeding 97%.
The black mass is obtained after dismantling and crushing the cells, separating plastics and light metals to concentrate the active materials (lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese). In a subsequent stage, these compounds are fractionated using hydrometallurgical processes with water and reagents for reintroduction in cathode manufacturing.
The plant operates with an initial capacity of 5.000 tons per year and contemplates successive expansions up to 15.000 t/ay, and later, 50.000 t/a, with the aim of creating a national network dedicated to the recovery and production of materials for closed-circuit batteries.
Europe integrates resources: the Clarios movement
Clarios has announced the integration of three plants located in Freiberg and Braubach (Germany) and Arnoldstein (Austria), currently operated by Ecobat, to strengthen its European recycling network focused on lead and polypropylene.
- Lead recovery from end-of-life batteries, with greater quality control and traceability.
- Expanded recycling of polypropylene, with the capacity to produce its own compounds aligned with the requirements of recycled plastic in the automotive industry.
- European reinforcement of infrastructure, contributing to regulatory and sustainability objectives in EMEA.
The transaction is subject to approvals and is expected to close in early 2026 , consolidating the company's leadership in the circular economy and ensuring the supply of high-quality secondary materials for the energy transition of transport.
Consumer Electronics: Samsung's Industrial Circularity
Samsung has deployed a cobalt recycling system from used device batteries, demonstrating that this metal can be reincorporated indefinitely into new cells without functional loss.
The model relies on collecting end-of-life equipment, safely dismantling it, and generating black mass , which is refined to recover high-purity cobalt. The company already operates this system in Vietnam and is working to expand it to lithium and other materials, strengthening circularity in its production lines.
Entrepreneurship in Latin America: Altero accelerates in Colombia
The startup Altero, founded by Dr. Andrea Alzate , recovers lithium, cobalt and nickel with 100% green processes to provide a sustainable solution for battery waste in the country.
The company has already processed around 25% of the batteries discarded in Colombia and, according to its projections, could reach 40% in the short term; in 2023 it treated 150 tons, avoiding 6.500 tons of CO2, and estimates exceeding 17.000 tons of emissions avoided in the coming years.
End-of-life vehicles: a new source of materials
End-of-life electric vehicles are emerging as a valuable source of secondary raw materials. The interest of insurers, repair shops, and other new players in recovering components and batteries opens an additional channel for supplying materials to recycling plants and increasing collection volumes.
The common thread running through these initiatives is unequivocal: a shared commitment to scalable industrial capabilities , public-private collaboration and advanced recovery technology, with the aim of stabilizing the battery supply chain and accelerating the transition to a more circular economy.
