Europe must step up recycling efforts to generate “sufficient raw materials” to produce new lithium-ion batteries, the head of the European Battery Recycling Association (EBRA) has said.
EBRA general-secretary Dr Alain Vassart said existing recycling capacity in Europe “exceeds the quantity collected, resulting in fierce competition among battery recyclers”.
Vassart said: “booming demand for lithium-ion has not yet led to a significant increase in the volume of used batteries recycled”.
But Vassart said Europe’s policymakers needed to look ahead to recycling needs in the near future. His comments came ahead of the 23rd International Congress for Battery Recycling (ICBR) opening in Berlin, Germany, on 26 September.
And the upcoming autumn issue of Batteries & Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Magazine, to be published mid-October, will include a significant supplement on battery recycling.
Technical editor Dr Mike McDonagh is inviting companies to contribute to the feature by providing technical information about their processes and their views on the commercial aspects of recycling, including market forces of price, supply and demand, the effect of legislation and the infrastructure required for effective recycling of current and new battery technologies.
Please e-mail your submissions to Dr Mike and editor-in-chief John Shepherd— and remember to include your own contact details. If you have any immediate questions call Dr Mike directly: +44 (0)7968 556050.
