The energy transition has placed critical metals at the center of the industrial chessboard: lithium, cobalt, nickel, palladium, copper or neodymium are no longer a rarity, but the silent engine of batteries, electronics and renewables; battery recycling is gaining momentum to close that cycle.
In recent months, projects and advancements with very different approaches—hydrometallurgy, biohydrometallurgy, advanced pyrometallurgy, and ultrafast Joule heating—have been launched, which, combined, point to a new era. From Catalonia with RECIPLAC (recycling computers to recover palladium, copper, and neodymium magnets), through the ReCell center in the United States and the CSIC's ISASMELT pilot plant, to research using bacteria to select metals or processes that extract indium, gallium, and tantalum without water or acids, the technological landscape is being rewritten at breakneck speed; electronic waste is the stream where many of these solutions are being applied.
Why recycling critical metals is urgent
The growth of electric vehicles and electronic devices is driving up global demand for lithium, cobalt, and nickel . These are materials with complex supply chains, often concentrated in a few countries, and with significant environmental and social impacts. The reality is stark: today, less than 5% of lithium-ion batteries are recycled , while lead-acid batteries are recycled at nearly 99%. The gap is enormous, and its implications are strategic for any advanced economy; that's why progress in lithium-ion battery recycling is so closely monitored.
Europe generates around two million tons of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) annually, approximately 16,2 kg per person, a rate that leads the world rankings. This waste stream includes copper, rare earth elements, and platinum group metals that can and should be recovered. In fact, the European Commission established a Critical Raw Materials Action Plan in 2020 , with a 2030-2050 horizon, to support strategic technologies and sectors while reducing reliance on imports. Many of these metals are key to this transition.
The pressure isn't just environmental or geopolitical; it's also business-related. For industries like automotive, electronics, and wind energy, securing supply is tantamount to safeguarding their future. That's why there's a growing interest in design for recycling (considering recyclability from the product's inception) and in processes that minimize costs, waste, and carbon footprint, without compromising the quality of recovered materials. The circular economy and inclusive recycling are key components of this shift.
In terms of information, the chemical and energy sector is increasing the dissemination of news through newsletters and WhatsApp channels , a sign of the dynamism of the ecosystem and its need to share results, milestones and technology transfers in an agile and coordinated manner.
Cutting-edge innovations: from the laboratory to the pilot plant
In the United States, the national ReCell center , based at Argonne National Laboratory, is fostering a collaborative ecosystem to accelerate the circular economy of critical battery materials. With initial funding of $15 million over three years, it brings together WPI, UC San Diego, NREL, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Michigan Technological University, as well as manufacturers, recyclers, suppliers, and automotive brands. Its goal: to bring recovery processes, battery redesigns, and industrial-viable technology scale-ups from the lab to the market; battery management applications are central to this effort.
WPI contributes a key element: a patented technology developed by Professor Yan Wang that allows for the direct recovery of cathode material from lithium-ion batteries, regardless of their specific composition. This approach is being validated at a pilot scale in Worcester , at a Battery Resources plant (co-founded by Wang), with the aim of demonstrating that the technical efficiency aligns with business viability. The idea that lithium batteries are recyclable is being translated into commercial processes here.
ReCell itself has funded a $150.000 study to understand how impurities present in used batteries alter the structure and performance of recycled cathodes, a critical issue because the industry is moving towards high-nickel cathodes , which are more sensitive to contaminants and, therefore, to the quality of the process.
Another promising approach comes from Rice University: flash Joule heating (FJH) processes combined with chlorination and carbochlorination to extract high-value metals from electronic waste. James Tour's team has demonstrated that it is possible to accurately separate gallium, indium, and tantalum (from sources such as LEDs, conductive films, or capacitors) without using water, acids, or solvents, thus reducing waste and emissions compared to traditional hydrometallurgy. The goal is to validate methods suitable for real-world recycling plants.
The results are striking: by controlling the reaction , purity exceeding 95% and yields above 85% are achieved , with the potential to extend the method to lithium and rare earth elements . For industry, this means cutting operating costs without sacrificing the quality of the recovered metal, paving the way for its adoption in real-world plants.
RECIPLAC: urban mining for palladium, copper, and neodymium
In Catalonia, the social enterprise Andròmines is coordinating the RECIPLAC project, with technical support from the Eurecat technology center and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia – BarcelonaTech (UPC), specifically the Biohydrometallurgy group at the Manresa Campus. Their challenge: to design an advanced computer recycling process capable of recovering high-value critical metals, particularly palladium, copper, and neodymium magnet arrays from hard drives.
The proposal combines three strategies implemented in an integrated manner, guided by principles of circular economy and urban mining. First, printed circuit boards (PCBs) undergo selective sorting to identify palladium-rich components , and then hydrometallurgical techniques are applied for their recovery. This two-step process increases efficiency and improves overall performance.
In parallel, the same PCI (copper-contaminated iron) is treated with next-generation biohydrometallurgical processes to obtain metallic copper. These methods utilize microbial and mild chemical pathways to separate and concentrate the metal, with lower energy consumption and less waste than conventional thermal processes.
The third area of focus is hard drive magnets : through specific hydrometallurgical processes, they are transformed into neodymium magnet arrays that can serve as high-quality precursors for manufacturing new magnets. This step is key to closing the loop on an essential component in electric motors and generators.
In addition, the consortium is studying other materials from computer dismantling with the goal of optimizing reuse according to sustainability criteria. The approach is practical: if a secondary waste stream can be recovered with good quality and at a reasonable cost, it is integrated; if not, it is re-evaluated for subsequent phases.
Researcher Toni Dorado , who coordinates the Biohydrometallurgy group at UPC in Manresa and is a professor at EPSEM, emphasizes that the project represents a significant step in the transfer of an innovative technology born in Catalonia to the business fabric of the territory, especially within the field of electronic waste recycling.
From Eurecat, Albert Martínez Torrents (Waste, Energy and Environmental Impact Unit) emphasizes the urban mining logic of the initiative and the need to activate combined solutions to maximize the recovery of critical metals with environmental and economic guarantees.
For Núria Sau , project director at Andròmines, RECIPLAC is also a social catalyst: it demonstrates that technological innovation and community engagement can go hand in hand to transform recycling, generate employment, and strengthen the local economy. This is no small feat, because this type of project demonstrates both industrial impact and social value.
In financial terms, RECIPLAC has a budget exceeding €330.000 , of which €250.000 comes from the ACCIÓ and the Catalan Waste Agency's 2024 Green R&D Hubs call for proposals. The project also benefits from technical advice from Datambient, a waste management specialist.
Spain and Europe: RC-Metals and the smart pyrometallurgical path
The Spanish National Research Council ( CSIC ) is leading the RC-Metals project with a clear objective: to recover metals contained in electronic waste and manufacture high-value alloys using advanced technologies. Its key asset is a pilot plant, unique in Europe, based on ISASMELT (referred to as ISASMELT-GLENCOR in the project), a molten bath melting process capable of treating complex mixtures and extracting metal fractions with high efficiency. This development connects with ongoing discussions about the rise of critical metal mining and new strategies to ensure supply.
The new pilot facility—described as ISASMELT F600 —aims to expand European scientific knowledge and technological capacity to reduce waste and dependence on imported critical raw materials. This move aligns with the European Action Plan, which recognizes the essential role of rare earth elements such as dysprosium, neodymium, and praseodymium in wind, solar photovoltaics, and electric mobility.
CSIC researcher Félix Antonio López (CENIM-CSIC) warns of potential supply disruptions due to current consumption rates, and points out that copper is a cornerstone of electrification and decarbonization, from grid infrastructure to vehicles and solar power plants. The priority, therefore, is to recover as much of the usable value of WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) as possible and reintegrate it into the value chain; the different materials and their environmental impacts underscore this urgency.
The RC-Metals project is funded by the Ministry for Ecological Transition , the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), and Atlantic Copper. This is complemented by framework agreements with companies and organizations such as Albufera Energy Storage, Colorobbia, Tatuine, Clemente Román, Técnicas Reunidas, the University of Zaragoza, and the Circe Foundation, forming a diverse consortium focused on industrial deployment.
Biotools and alternative paths in recycling
Bioengineering is also making significant strides. A team from the University of Edinburgh is using bacteria to extract lithium, cobalt, manganese, and other metals from spent batteries and electronic waste. As Professor Louise Horsfall explains , harnessing the natural resistance and selectivity of microorganisms to " fish " for metal ions and convert them into nanoparticles allows for the precise separation of valuable elements, metal by metal; the biotechnological extraction of cobalt is a particularly interesting example.
Within this approach, engineer Nathalie Madoc describes a "metal soup" in which dissolved ions are made available to "specialized" bacteria to form small metal nuggets . It's a route that requires testing and adjustments for each element, but has the potential to scale up when the supply of end-of-life batteries skyrockets.
Professor Andy Abbott (University of Leicester) offers a pragmatic warning: electric vehicle batteries are lasting longer than expected, so there are few modules available for recycling today. Although the technology exists to convert the material into chemical precursors for new cathodes, the economics of the process don't always add up due to the scale and manual dismantling involved . It's a matter of time and volume.
Despite the current supply shortage, striking experiments are flourishing. A consortium led by Durham University has demonstrated the transformation of cobalt into vitamin B12 as a biotechnological proof of concept, and bioremediation is gaining traction as a means to curb water pollutants. Science is advancing, but the geopolitical landscape is also shifting: China has halted the export of rare earth extraction and separation technologies, deeming them strategic.
Meanwhile, companies like Tusaar Corporation (Colorado) claim to be able to recover at least 95% of critical metals and scale up their processes, supporting a circular economy with some of the supply available domestically. Its CEO, Gautan Khanna , argues that recovering value from end-of-life products strengthens autonomy and stabilizes supply chains, a key objective for the Americas and Europe.
What technologies contribute and how they combine
The mosaic of solutions is not mutually exclusive; quite the contrary. Hydrometallurgy (solution chemistry) works very well for palladium, cobalt, and rare earths when relatively clean streams are available; biohydrometallurgy reduces chemicals and energy in certain steps; and advanced pyrometallurgy like ISASMELT excels with complex mixtures that require selective melting to efficiently separate metals.
Emerging methods like Joule heating (FJH) fill a key niche: ultrafast separations with fine temperature control and no water or acids, reducing both environmental impact and costs. And, to close the loop, design strategies for recycling (for example, cells with adhesives and collectors designed for easy disassembly) make the entire process faster and cheaper.
This is where projects like ReCell make a difference: they bring together academia, national laboratories, and companies to prioritize lines of research with real potential and take them to pilot plants, and from there, to industry . The fact that a patented technology, like Yan Wang's for recovering cathodes, is operating in a demonstration plant is a significant sign of maturity.
At the regional level, RECIPLAC and RC-Metals share a common goal: to build local capacity to process their own waste, add value to it, and reduce external dependence. Public support—from ACCIÓ and the Catalan Waste Agency in one case; from MITECO, CSIC, and industrial partners in the other—catalyzes investment and, equally important, knowledge transfer to the productive sector.
It's significant that RECIPLAC includes Andròmines , a social inclusion organization: in addition to recovering high-value metals and optimizing secondary flows, the project creates jobs and skills development around a technological challenge. It's a good example of how the transition can be both green and just.
Environmental impact, costs and traceability
Recycling critical metals reduces the need for primary mining , with direct benefits: less deforestation, less waste disposal, and fewer greenhouse gas emissions associated with extraction and transportation. Processes like FJH, which do not use acids or water, further shift the environmental balance toward recycling over the exploitation of new deposits.
But the impact isn't measured solely in CO2; traceability and purity are equally important. Achieving >95% purity and >85% yield, as demonstrated by tests with indium, gallium, and tantalum, enables its return to high-value applications (optoelectronics, conductive coatings, high-performance capacitors) without any performance penalty.
However, the challenge of operating costs remains in an environment where the price of virgin metal fluctuates and can erode recycling margins. This is where incentives, product standardization to facilitate end-of-life management, and long-term contracts that provide visibility for those investing in plants and technology come into play.
Another sensitive issue is battery safety and dismantling: reducing manual intervention, automating processes, and ensuring robust protocols are crucial for competitive and safe recycling. The industry is already exploring robotic equipment and shielded stations, an area where accumulated knowledge is quickly translating into best practices.
Communication, open knowledge and multilingualism
Public awareness also plays a role. Recent reports—such as the one by Miguel Ángel García Vega —have highlighted the potential of bioengineering, the low recycling rate of many metals ( below 5% ), and the geopolitical rebalancing linked to rare earth elements. Specialized media outlets, for their part, are strengthening their coverage with newsletters and real-time channels for a technical community that seeks to stay informed.
Linguistic diversity appears as a strength: several sources on these projects offer versions in Catalan and Spanish, which is useful for transferring knowledge to the entire chain —administration, companies, technology centers and citizens— without unnecessary barriers.
What's next: climbing with your head
The overall picture suggests a convergence: hybrid processes, pilot plants transitioning to demonstration projects , recycling-oriented design, and policy decisions that favor circularity. In parallel, quality and certification standards are being demanded to allow recycled metals to compete head-to-head with virgin metals, especially in sensitive sectors such as electric vehicles.
There is also a growing sense of responsibility on the part of producers and an end to past practices (such as burying components like old wind turbine blades ), replaced by obligations to remove and recycle responsibly. Added to all this is a cultural shift: more and more companies want their supply chains to be resilient , traceable, and low-carbon, and the recycling of critical metals is a key piece of that puzzle.
With projects like RECIPLAC , the impetus provided by the ReCell center , RC-Metals ' ISASMELT pathway , and advancements such as FJH and biological extraction, the sector is accelerating towards solutions that combine technology, social impact, and economic viability. Add to this coherent policies and intelligent design, and the recycling of critical metals can become a true industrial driver of the energy transition, here and now.
