Assessing the Antecedents, Processes, and Consequences of Sustainable Electric Vehicle Battery Recycling: A Systematic Literature Review

The rise of vehicle electrification as a transformative trend in the transportation sector has accelerated the global production and adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and a growing number of EV batteries reaching the end of their life cycle. EV battery recycling has emerged as a critical area of focus due to its profound implications for sustainable performance. The European Union’s Regulation Concerning Batteries and Waste Batteries (EU) 2023/154, introduced in September 2023, further underscores the importance of EV battery recycling for sustainability. Businesses are progressively embracing innovative recycling strategies to meet evolving regulations and advance sustainability objectives. However, despite growing interest, existing research on EV battery recycling remains fragmented and lacks a cohesive, systematic framework to guide advancements in this field. To bridge this gap, this paper conducts a systematic review of the literature, analysing 148 articles sourced from Scopus and Web of Science. The analysis reveals that government policies are the primary drivers (antecedents) of EV battery recycling efforts. Recycling processes involve diverse methodologies, stakeholder collaborations, and innovative business models, which collectively yield significant environmental and economic benefits (consequences). However, these processes also face challenges that require interdisciplinary and multi-stakeholder approaches. This paper proposes several future research directions to enhance the sustainability of EV battery recycling. These include expanding the scope of studies to incorporate diverse contexts and advanced theoretical frameworks; evaluating the effectiveness of various policy interventions; exploring innovative strategies to optimize recycling processes; and rigorously assessing their environmental and economic viability.