Reducing bureaucracy and embedding recycling in product design: VDM and BDSV publish position paper on battery recycling.
To strengthen the supply of raw materials for electric mobility, the Association of German Metal Traders and Recyclers (VDM) and the Federal Association of German Steel Recycling and Disposal Companies (BDSV) are calling for better political conditions for sustainable battery recycling. With the increasing production of electric vehicles and the growing number of end-of-life batteries, the automotive industry should be held more accountable, according to a position paper from the associations.
They argue that recyclability must be embedded in product design to avoid challenges in disassembly and prevent quality losses in the recovered materials. Furthermore, regulations need to be harmonized, and bureaucratic hurdles reduced both nationwide and at the EU level. For example, according to the associations, the classification of batteries from abroad differs between federal states, being treated as hazardous waste or green-listed waste.
The paper also highlights the need for more processing capacities for “Black Mass,” a key intermediate product of battery recycling that contains valuable metals like nickel, cobalt, and lithium. The associations are also advocating for support with investments and faster approvals, welcoming the recently approved raw materials fund by the German government.
Batteries and many of the raw materials required are predominantly produced in Asia, especially China. To reduce this import dependency, the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act, which came into force this year, promotes more recycling alongside domestic mining. Various projects have already been initiated, such as Vulcan Energy’s lithium extraction in Germany’s Upper Rhine Valley. Additionally, mining giant Glencore plans to build Europe’s largest battery recycling plant in Sardinia, while another newly announced project aims to close a gap in the value chain. Some projects are receiving EU funding, including the construction of a battery factory in Germany by the Swedish company Northvolt.
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