The Global Secondary Battery Recycling Market is undergoing a monumental shift, evolving from a niche waste management sector into a cornerstone of the global energy transition. According to industry projections by Chem Reports, the market was valued at USD 28.4 Billion in 2025 and is expected to reach USD 105.6 Billion by the year 2036, expanding at a CAGR of 12.7% during the forecast period.
Secondary batteries—primarily Lead-acid and Lithium-ion—are essential to the electrification of transport and renewable energy storage. Recycling these units is no longer just an environmental imperative but a strategic necessity to secure critical minerals like Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel, and Copper. This report provides an exhaustive analysis of the technological breakthroughs in hydrometallurgy, the impact of circular economy mandates, and the market’s trajectory over the next decade.
The 2020–2022 period highlighted the fragility of virgin mineral supply chains. While the initial outbreak of COVID-19 hampered collection volumes and logistics, it served as a primary driver for the "Green Recovery" policies now seen in the EU and North America. The market has shifted focus toward domestic recycling capabilities to reduce dependence on imported raw materials, resulting in a robust post-pandemic growth curve driven by localized closed-loop systems.
By Battery Chemistry:
Lead-Acid Batteries: High-volume segment with established collection infrastructure; dominant in automotive starter batteries and UPS systems.
Lithium-Ion Batteries (Li-ion): The fastest-growing segment, categorized by sub-chemistries: Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC), and Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO).
Nickel-Based Batteries: Including Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd).
Others: Including emerging Sodium-ion and Solid-state batteries.
By Recycling Process:
Hydrometallurgy: Utilizing aqueous solutions to extract metals; prized for high recovery rates and lower carbon footprint.
Pyrometallurgy: High-temperature smelting process; robust and capable of handling diverse battery streams.
Direct Recycling: Emerging method to recover active materials without breaking down the chemical structure.
By End-Use Source:
Automotive: Electric Vehicles (EVs), Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), and E-bikes.
Industrial: Data centers, telecommunications, and grid-scale renewable energy storage.
Consumer Electronics: Smartphones, laptops, and power tools.
By Recovered Material:
Cobalt, Nickel, and Lithium (The "Battery Grade" metals).
Copper and Aluminum (Current collectors).
Plastic and Graphite.
The market features a mix of traditional recyclers, mining giants, and specialized technology startups:
Umicore (Belgium)
Redwood Materials (USA)
Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (Canada)
Brunp Recycling (CATL) (China)
GEM Co., Ltd. (China)
Retriev Technologies (USA)
Fortum Oyj (Finland)
Duesenfeld (Germany)
Accurec Recycling GmbH (Germany)
Gravita India Limited (India)
Battery Solutions (Retriev) (USA)
Call2Recycle (USA)
Exide Technologies (USA)
Ganfeng Lithium (China)
Ascend Elements (USA)
Asia-Pacific: The clear market leader, with China accounting for over 50% of the world's recycling capacity. Growth is fueled by aggressive EV adoption and comprehensive "Producer Responsibility" laws.
Europe: Driven by the EU Battery Regulation, which mandates specific recovery targets for Lithium and Cobalt. The region is a pioneer in hydrometallurgical innovation.
North America: Rapidly expanding due to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which provides massive incentives for domestic battery material processing.
South America and MEA: Emerging markets focused primarily on Lead-acid recycling, with growing potential for Li-ion collection hubs in major urban centers.
Bargaining Power of Suppliers (High): Feedstock is the "new oil." Companies that control collection networks or have partnerships with EV makers hold significant power.
Bargaining Power of Buyers (High): Battery manufacturers and OEMs (Tesla, VW) demand high-purity, "battery-grade" materials and have the leverage to sign exclusive off-take agreements.
Threat of New Entrants (Moderate): High capital requirements and complex environmental permits are barriers, but the massive market potential is attracting energy and mining incumbents.
Threat of Substitutes (Low): There is no substitute for recycling in a circular economy, though changes in battery chemistry (e.g., Cobalt-free) can alter the value of the recycled output.
Competitive Rivalry (High): Intense competition to secure "Black Mass" (the shredded material from batteries) and to achieve the highest metal recovery yields.
Strengths: Reduces reliance on mining; lowers environmental impact; secures domestic supply chains.
Weaknesses: High cost of specialized logistics for hazardous waste; complexity of dismantling diverse battery packs.
Opportunities: "Second-life" applications (using old EV batteries for grid storage); AI-driven automated disassembly.
Threats: Fluctuation in virgin metal prices (making recycling less profitable); rapidly changing battery designs that outpace recycling tech.
The Rise of Black Mass Trading: Black mass has become a global commodity, with specialized hubs emerging for its refining into battery-grade chemicals.
Closed-Loop Partnerships: Direct alliances between recyclers and OEMs (e.g., Redwood and Ford) to ensure batteries return to the original manufacturer.
Digital Battery Passports: Blockchain-based tracking to monitor a battery's life cycle and ensure it reaches a certified recycler.
Drivers:
Exponential growth in the global EV fleet.
Strict environmental regulations and landfill bans.
The "Strategic Autonomy" movement to secure mineral independence.
Challenges:
Safety risks (fire/explosion) during transportation of damaged Li-ion packs.
Low economic viability for recycling LFP batteries compared to NMC (due to lack of Cobalt/Nickel).
Collection: Aggregating spent batteries from consumers, workshops, and scrap yards.
Logistics: Specialized hazardous material transport to processing centers.
Pre-treatment: Discharging, dismantling, and shredding to produce "Black Mass."
Refining: Extraction of pure metals via Hydrometallurgy or Pyrometallurgy.
Resupply: Sale of recovered precursors back to battery cathode manufacturers.
For Investors: Focus on companies with Hydrometallurgical expertise, as this technology is preferred for high-purity Lithium and Nickel recovery.
For OEMs (Car Makers): Form Strategic Joint Ventures with recyclers now to ensure a guaranteed supply of "Green" minerals for future production.
For Policy Makers: Standardize Battery Design for Disassembly to make the recycling process safer and more automated.
For Recyclers: Invest in Flexible Refining Lines capable of processing various chemistries (NMC, LCO, and LFP) to hedge against shifts in battery technology.
1. Market Overview of Secondary Battery Recycling
1.1 Secondary Battery Recycling Market Overview
1.1.1 Secondary Battery Recycling Product Scope
1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook
1.2 Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Regions:
1.3 Secondary Battery Recycling Historic Market Size by Regions
1.4 Secondary Battery Recycling Forecasted Market Size by Regions
1.5 Covid-19 Impact on Key Regions, Keyword Market Size YoY Growth
1.5.1 North America
1.5.2 East Asia
1.5.3 Europe
1.5.4 South Asia
1.5.5 Southeast Asia
1.5.6 Middle East
1.5.7 Africa
1.5.8 Oceania
1.5.9 South America
1.5.10 Rest of the World
1.6 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Impact Will Have a Severe Impact on Global Growth
1.6.1 Covid-19 Impact: Global GDP Growth, 2019, 2020 and 2021 Projections
1.6.2 Covid-19 Impact: Commodity Prices Indices
1.6.3 Covid-19 Impact: Global Major Government Policy
2. Covid-19 Impact Secondary Battery Recycling Sales Market by Type
2.1 Global Secondary Battery Recycling Historic Market Size by Type
2.2 Global Secondary Battery Recycling Forecasted Market Size by Type
2.3 Lead-acid
2.4 Lithium-ion
2.5 Others
3. Covid-19 Impact Secondary Battery Recycling Sales Market by Application
3.1 Global Secondary Battery Recycling Historic Market Size by Application
3.2 Global Secondary Battery Recycling Forecasted Market Size by Application
3.3 Recovered metals
3.4 Other mineral
4. Covid-19 Impact Market Competition by Manufacturers
4.1 Global Secondary Battery Recycling Production Capacity Market Share by Manufacturers
4.2 Global Secondary Battery Recycling Revenue Market Share by Manufacturers
4.3 Global Secondary Battery Recycling Average Price by Manufacturers
5. Company Profiles and Key Figures in Secondary Battery Recycling Business
5.1 Battery Solutions
5.1.1 Battery Solutions Company Profile
5.1.2 Battery Solutions Secondary Battery Recycling Product Specification
5.1.3 Battery Solutions Secondary Battery Recycling Production Capacity, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin
5.2 Gravita India
5.2.1 Gravita India Company Profile
5.2.2 Gravita India Secondary Battery Recycling Product Specification
5.2.3 Gravita India Secondary Battery Recycling Production Capacity, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin
5.3 Call2Recycle
5.3.1 Call2Recycle Company Profile
5.3.2 Call2Recycle Secondary Battery Recycling Product Specification
5.3.3 Call2Recycle Secondary Battery Recycling Production Capacity, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin
5.4 Exide Technologies
5.4.1 Exide Technologies Company Profile
5.4.2 Exide Technologies Secondary Battery Recycling Product Specification
5.4.3 Exide Technologies Secondary Battery Recycling Production Capacity, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin
5.5 Electropaedia
5.5.1 Electropaedia Company Profile
5.5.2 Electropaedia Secondary Battery Recycling Product Specification
5.5.3 Electropaedia Secondary Battery Recycling Production Capacity, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin
5.6 Johnson Controls
5.6.1 Johnson Controls Company Profile
5.6.2 Johnson Controls Secondary Battery Recycling Product Specification
5.6.3 Johnson Controls Secondary Battery Recycling Production Capacity, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin
6. North America
6.1 North America Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size
6.2 North America Secondary Battery Recycling Key Players in North America
6.3 North America Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Type
6.4 North America Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Application
7. East Asia
7.1 East Asia Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size
7.2 East Asia Secondary Battery Recycling Key Players in North America
7.3 East Asia Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Type
7.4 East Asia Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Application
8. Europe
8.1 Europe Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size
8.2 Europe Secondary Battery Recycling Key Players in North America
8.3 Europe Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Type
8.4 Europe Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Application
9. South Asia
9.1 South Asia Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size
9.2 South Asia Secondary Battery Recycling Key Players in North America
9.3 South Asia Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Type
9.4 South Asia Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Application
10. Southeast Asia
10.1 Southeast Asia Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size
10.2 Southeast Asia Secondary Battery Recycling Key Players in North America
10.3 Southeast Asia Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Type
10.4 Southeast Asia Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Application
11. Middle East
11.1 Middle East Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size
11.2 Middle East Secondary Battery Recycling Key Players in North America
11.3 Middle East Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Type
11.4 Middle East Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Application
12. Africa
12.1 Africa Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size
12.2 Africa Secondary Battery Recycling Key Players in North America
12.3 Africa Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Type
12.4 Africa Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Application
13. Oceania
13.1 Oceania Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size
13.2 Oceania Secondary Battery Recycling Key Players in North America
13.3 Oceania Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Type
13.4 Oceania Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Application
14. South America
14.1 South America Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size
14.2 South America Secondary Battery Recycling Key Players in North America
14.3 South America Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Type
14.4 South America Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Application
15. Rest of the World
15.1 Rest of the World Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size
15.2 Rest of the World Secondary Battery Recycling Key Players in North America
15.3 Rest of the World Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Type
15.4 Rest of the World Secondary Battery Recycling Market Size by Application
16 Secondary Battery Recycling Market Dynamics
16.1 Covid-19 Impact Market Top Trends
16.2 Covid-19 Impact Market Drivers
16.3 Covid-19 Impact Market Challenges
16.4 Porter?s Five Forces Analysis
18 Regulatory Information
17 Analyst's Viewpoints/Conclusions
18 Appendix
18.1 Research Methodology
18.1.1 Methodology/Research Approach
18.1.2 Data Source
18.2 Disclaimer
By Battery Chemistry:
Lead-Acid Batteries: High-volume segment with established collection infrastructure; dominant in automotive starter batteries and UPS systems.
Lithium-Ion Batteries (Li-ion): The fastest-growing segment, categorized by sub-chemistries: Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP), Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC), and Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LCO).
Nickel-Based Batteries: Including Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd).
Others: Including emerging Sodium-ion and Solid-state batteries.
By Recycling Process:
Hydrometallurgy: Utilizing aqueous solutions to extract metals; prized for high recovery rates and lower carbon footprint.
Pyrometallurgy: High-temperature smelting process; robust and capable of handling diverse battery streams.
Direct Recycling: Emerging method to recover active materials without breaking down the chemical structure.
By End-Use Source:
Automotive: Electric Vehicles (EVs), Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs), and E-bikes.
Industrial: Data centers, telecommunications, and grid-scale renewable energy storage.
Consumer Electronics: Smartphones, laptops, and power tools.
By Recovered Material:
Cobalt, Nickel, and Lithium (The "Battery Grade" metals).
Copper and Aluminum (Current collectors).
Plastic and Graphite.
The market features a mix of traditional recyclers, mining giants, and specialized technology startups:
Umicore (Belgium)
Redwood Materials (USA)
Li-Cycle Holdings Corp. (Canada)
Brunp Recycling (CATL) (China)
GEM Co., Ltd. (China)
Retriev Technologies (USA)
Fortum Oyj (Finland)
Duesenfeld (Germany)
Accurec Recycling GmbH (Germany)
Gravita India Limited (India)
Battery Solutions (Retriev) (USA)
Call2Recycle (USA)
Exide Technologies (USA)
Ganfeng Lithium (China)
Ascend Elements (USA)
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