Battery Recycling for Critical Minerals
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Lithium-ion battery recycling recovers cobalt, nickel, copper and lithium from spent cells and from factory scrap, and the EU has turned it into law. Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 requires recycling of 65% by weight of lithium-based batteries by 31 December 2025 and 70% by 31 December 2030, recovery of 95% of cobalt and nickel and 80% of lithium by 31 December 2031, and recycled content of at least 16% cobalt and 6% each of lithium and nickel in new batteries from 18 August 2031. In the United States, USGS says purchased scrap supplied 25% of cobalt use in 2025, but battery recycling plants for lithium were still under construction.
70%
by weight of lithium-based batteries must be recycled by 31 December 2030, up from 65% by the end of 2025
80%
of lithium must be recovered by 31 December 2031, up from 50% by the end of 2027
16%
recycled cobalt required in covered new batteries from 18 August 2031, with 6% lithium and 6% nickel
20 GWh
of batteries Redwood Materials says it receives each year for recycling at its Nevada campus
Source: Redwood Materials
What must EU battery recyclers achieve, and by when?
The EU sets three kinds of target: how much of a battery's weight is recycled, how much of each metal is recovered, and how much recycled metal new batteries must contain. The table lists each one with its date.
| Target | First step | Second step |
|---|---|---|
| Recycling efficiency, lithium-based batteries (by weight) | 65% by 31 December 2025 | 70% by 31 December 2030 |
| Recovery of cobalt, copper, lead and nickel | 90% by 31 December 2027 | 95% by 31 December 2031 |
| Recovery of lithium | 50% by 31 December 2027 | 80% by 31 December 2031 |
| Recycled cobalt in new batteries | 16% from 18 August 2031 | 26% from 18 August 2036 |
| Recycled lithium in new batteries | 6% from 18 August 2031 | 12% from 18 August 2036 |
| Recycled nickel in new batteries | 6% from 18 August 2031 | 15% from 18 August 2036 |
| Recycled lead in new batteries | 85% from 18 August 2031 | 85% from 18 August 2036 |
Source: Regulation (EU) 2023/1542, Annex XII Parts B and C and Article 8, read on EUR-Lex. The recycled-content shares apply to industrial batteries above 2 kWh with internal storage, electric vehicle batteries and starting, lighting and ignition batteries. Documentation of recycled content is required from 18 August 2028 or 24 months after the Commission adopts its calculation method, whichever is later.
How much battery material is recycled today?
Today's recycled supply comes mostly from metals that are not in batteries. USGS reports that purchased cobalt scrap represented 25% of estimated U.S. cobalt consumption in 2025 and that scrap supplied about 60% of U.S. nickel, most of it as stainless-steel scrap. For lithium it records only that construction of lithium battery recycling plants continued throughout 2025 and that automobile companies and battery recyclers partnered to supply battery materials. The recycling potential page shows the EU's own 2023 recycling input rates, which were 22% for cobalt and 16% for nickel and 0% for lithium.
Who recycles batteries at scale?
Two companies show the range of outcomes in North America. Redwood Materials, based in Nevada, says its Sparks campus receives over 20 GWh of batteries a year for recycling and that it produced 60,000 tonnes of critical minerals there in 2025. Li-Cycle, once a leading recycler, went through bankruptcy in 2025: Glencore completed the purchase of its assets on 8 August 2025 for a bid of roughly $40 million, covering three U.S. facilities, one in Canada and one in Germany with combined capacity of 61,000 tonnes a year, of which only the German site was running. Li-Cycle's Rochester hub in New York never began operations after construction was paused on 23 October 2023 because of rising costs. The recyclers page lists more companies.
How does black mass cross borders?
Black mass is the powder left after spent lithium-ion cells are shredded, and its treatment differs by region. The European Commission announced on 5 March 2025 that it would classify black mass as hazardous waste, which it said would lead to a ban on its export to non-OECD countries. China, by contrast, allowed imports of qualifying recycled black mass from 1 August 2025 under customs code 3824999996, provided it is shipped separately and meets its performance requirements. The two rules point in opposite directions: Europe keeps black mass at home, while China reopened to imports.
Frequently asked questions
What are the EU battery recycling targets?
Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 requires 65% recycling efficiency for lithium-based batteries by 31 December 2025 and 70% by 31 December 2030. It also requires recovery of 90% of cobalt, copper, lead and nickel and 50% of lithium by the end of 2027, rising to 95% and 80% by the end of 2031.
How much recycled content must new EU batteries contain?
From 18 August 2031, covered batteries must contain at least 16% recycled cobalt, 85% recycled lead, 6% recycled lithium and 6% recycled nickel in active materials. From 18 August 2036 the minimums rise to 26% cobalt, 12% lithium and 15% nickel.
What is black mass?
Black mass is the powder produced when spent lithium-ion batteries are shredded, and it contains the cathode and anode materials. The European Commission classified it as hazardous waste in March 2025, and China has allowed imports of qualifying black mass since 1 August 2025.
How much lithium is recycled?
USGS gives no quantity for recycled lithium. It reports that lithium battery recycling plants were still being built in 2025, and the EU's 2023 study put the EU lithium recycling input rate at 0%.
Sources
Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 (Batteries Regulation), Article 8 and Annex XII. Original text read on EUR-Lex; amendments after publication were not checked
- European Commission: battery-related waste codes update (5 March 2025). Announcement; the Official Journal reference was not read
- Mysteel: China black mass import regulation to take effect on Aug 1 (16 June 2025). Trade press report; the ministry notice itself was not read
- Waste Dive: Glencore completes takeover of Li-Cycle assets (8 August 2025)
- Redwood Materials: Tahoe campus. Company statement
- Redwood Materials: 2025 a defining year. Company statement
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: lithium, cobalt and nickel
