RECYCLING OF LITHIUM ION BATTERIES: THE BLACK SPOT OF THE GREEN DEAL

Progress towards a decarbonized economy is dependent on the development of energy storage devices enabling the deployment of new strategies in the transport and energy sectors. Lithium-Ion Batteries (LIBs) play a key role in facilitating the shift from fossil fuels to renewables based on ubiquitous sources of decentralized energy. However, the rapidly increasing demand for batteries has generated environmental concerns regarding recycling, and raw materials depletion and exhaustion. Moreover, the level of extraction and processing of battery raw materials from local resources is almost negligible, inducing geopolitical concerns regarding potential threats to production and the stability of local manufactures. Finally, the storage and processing of hazardous wastes remains a difficult challenge in the circular economy concept. Recycling, therefore, is beneficial to the environment and has a high economic value via strengthening local supply chains. This work presents an alternative, comprehensive, and holistic review of LIB recycling technologies; from traditional metallurgy strategies to innovative, direct recycling methods and pioneering in-production and design-for-recycling approaches. It identifies new directions for making recycling efficient and techno-economically profitable and sustainable - including the vital role of robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Keywords: Lithium Ion Batteries, Recycling, Design for Recycling, In-production Recycling, Artificial Intelligence