Life Cycle Assessment of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling: Evaluating the Impact of Recycling Methods and Location

Lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycling technologies are advancing rapidly, with higher recovery efficiencies, lower energy demand, and more complex supply chains. Previous life cycle assessment (LCA) studies overlook evolving industry recycling practices and often disregard key impact categories, such as water consumption, toxicity, and resource depletion potential. Previous studies also do not evaluate battery recycling methods within the current supply chain context, specifically accounting for prevailing battery waste composition, final cathode material outputs, and varying geographic locations of recycling stages. This study compares conventional hydrometallurgy (CHR), truncated hydrometallurgy (THR), and…