Battery recycling innovation surging as countries seek to strengthen critical mineral supply and energy security
News
29 April 2026
The number of lithium-ion and similar batteries reaching end-of-life is expected to rise sharply from the mid-2030s onwards, making managing battery waste safely and efficiently a key challenge. Companies, universities and public research centers are responding by accelerating innovation to recycle critical raw materials and reduce reliance on primary mining, while mitigating the environmental impact.
According to a new study published today by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), international patent families (IPFs)[1] related to battery circularity recorded an average annual growth rate of 42% from 2017 to 2023. This figure compares with 16% for rechargeable battery manufacturing overall and 2% for all technical fields during the same period.
