European Battery Recycling Expands to Cut Dependence on China

China dominates the global battery supply chain, processing about 60‑70 % of lithium and nickel, 70‑80 % of cobalt, 75‑80 % of cathode materials and over 90 % of graphite anodes. Europe currently recycles only 15‑20 % of lithium‑ion battery material, but new facilities in Germany, France, Belgium and Sweden are converting the intermediate “black mass” into nickel, cobalt and lithium sulfates suitable for new batteries. Despite this progress, a large share of valuable battery waste still leaves Europe for Asian recyclers, limiting the continent’s raw‑material autonomy. The EU aims to avoid importing more than 80 kt of lithium by 2035 – enough to fuel roughly 2.5 million electric vehicles – and stresses the need for coordinated industry action to capture this “golden opportunity.”