#None #CATL #EV Batteries #Elena MacArthur Foundation

Pioneering Circular Economy for EV Batteries with CATL

In a significant development for sustainable mobility, CATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have released an influential whitepaper titled "Leading The Charge - Turning risk into reward with a circular economy for EV batteries and critical minerals." This document, presented during the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos, serves as the first comprehensive, actionable roadmap aimed at creating a circular economy for electric vehicle (EV) batteries, based on practical industrial experience. This initiative marks a crucial milestone in the collaborative efforts between CATL and the foundation towards sustainable battery solutions.

The Collaborative Effort

The whitepaper has been developed with the input and collaboration of over 30 leading organizations from across the EV battery ecosystem, including CATL, DHL, Volvo, Jaguar Land Rover, as well as various research institutions and NGOs. This broad coalition has worked diligently to outline industry-specific strategies for the optimal construction, usage, reclamation, and recycling of EV batteries, thereby maximizing their lifecycle value while minimizing systemic risks throughout the supply chain.

CATL's role as a founding strategic partner of the foundation's Critical Minerals Mission has enabled it to translate circular economy principles into tangible, actionable practices, backed by real-world operational experiences. The roadmap is part of CATL's ongoing commitment to a circular economy in the energy sector, aligning with its long-term goal of decoupling battery market growth from the extraction of new raw materials. It emphasizes the substantial opportunities a circular EV battery system presents in the realms of environmental impact, economic growth, product innovation, and value creation.

Benefits of a Circular EV Battery System

Through the continued use of batteries and their critical minerals across multiple lifecycle stages, the demand for newly sourced materials can be significantly reduced, leading to lower emissions and enhanced integration of renewable energies. Additionally, this approach boosts economic value by improving material efficiency, decreasing waste and operational costs, and generating new revenue streams. At the same time, it enhances supply chain resilience and promotes a more equitable distribution of economic benefits across different regions. This exemplifies how adopting a systemic, circular approach can transform potential risks into strategic, value-adding opportunities.

Five Key Strategies Identified

The whitepaper highlights five interconnected actions necessary for maintaining high-quality utilization of battery materials and strengthening system resilience:

1. Design Batteries for Circularity: Batteries should be engineered with a lifespan that emphasizes reusability over disposal.
2. Revamp Battery Services: Rethinking battery services within optimized energy mobility systems to facilitate easier maintenance and recycling.
3. Scale Circular Business Models: Developing business models that treat batteries as long-term financial assets rather than short-lived products.
4. Build Regional Circular Infrastructures: Invest in localized infrastructure to support circular systems for battery management.
5. Enable Circular Operations: Implement data management, standards, and policies that facilitate circular operation systems.

CATL's Practical Implementation

CATL has already begun implementing these strategies across its operational spectrum by managing batteries as centralized assets separate from vehicles. This innovative approach notably increases utilization rates, allows for scheduled maintenance, and ensures predictable returns at the end of each battery's lifecycle. Currently, CATL operates over 1,000 vehicle battery swap stations and more than 300 stations for commercial vehicles, supported by a robust ecosystem comprising over 100 partnerships.

This systemic integration has led to significant advancements in large-scale recovery practices, achieving recovery rates as high as 99.6% for Nickel, Cobalt, and Manganese, and 96.5% for Lithium, with processing capacities expected to reach 270,000 tons per year. Concurrently, CATL is innovating through alternative chemistries such as sodium-ion batteries, employing widely available materials, and reducing lifecycle carbon emissions per kilowatt-hour by up to 60%. This enhances circular performance across mobility, swapping, and energy storage.

Call to Action for the Industry

At the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Leadership Briefing, Jiang Li, Deputy Chairman and Secretary of the Board at CATL, emphasized the importance of this report, stating, "This marks a significant milestone on the global journey towards a circular economy for batteries. Circular systems must now scale across regions, industries, and applications—from electric vehicles to energy storage—adapting to varying market contexts."

Wen-Yu Weng, Executive Leader for Critical Minerals at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, echoed this sentiment, declaring, "A circular economy for batteries and critical minerals is no longer optional; it is essential for affordability, resilience, and long-term growth while mitigating ecological and social impacts. EV batteries are strategic assets, and circular approaches are key to preserving their value and ensuring critical minerals never become waste."

For CATL, this agenda directly supports its path to achieving carbon neutrality, building on its commitment to reach carbon neutrality across all its battery manufacturing facilities and striving for full value chain carbon neutrality by 2035.

In conclusion, the release of this whitepaper is just the beginning of a broader collaborative effort between CATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to accelerate the circular economy for critical minerals. The next phase will focus on verifying these approaches in real-world settings to understand the interactions of design, usage, life extension, collection, and large-scale recycling cycles.