Battery recycling is widely promoted as a path toward circularity, critical-mineral security and greater industrial independence. But collecting spent lithium-ion batteries and processing them into black mass does not necessarily return those materials to domestic manufacturing.

In this episode of 19 Observations on the Mining and Refining of Critical Materials, we examine what happens when black mass leaves the country where batteries were collected and enters China’s recovery and refining system. Unless the material is covered by a toll-processing or closed-loop agreement, its lithium, nickel, cobalt and other recoverable materials may become feedstock for China’s domestic refining and battery-manufacturing industries.

This creates a powerful industrial loop: exporting countries avoid the financial, regulatory and political burden of building complete refining capacity, while China gains additional feedstock, plant utilisation, technical experience and economies of scale.

Battery recycling may look circular—but where does the circle actually close?

An examination of battery recycling, black mass, China’s refining advantage, lithium-ion battery supply chains, critical minerals, circular economy policy, resource security and industrial independence.

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Produced By:

Kiana Kianara

Executive Vice President, Marketing & PR