From Waste to Resource: The Growing Importance of Black Mass in Battery Recycling
As the global push for EVs and BESS continues to surge, so too does the urgency to secure sustainable supplies of key battery materials. At Recyclus Group, we’re playing a pivotal role in this transition by producing high-quality black mass, a critical intermediate product that feeds directly into the supply of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other vital battery materials.
Recent insights from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence (May 2025) provide a stark comparison between the European and North American black mass markets.
Europe, driven by a robust policy framework under the EU Battery Regulation, is leading in both black mass production and deployment of commercial-scale recycling technologies. In contrast, North America is still in the early stages of building out its infrastructure, with federal-level policy lagging behind state-led initiatives.
According to Benchmark:
• European black mass supply is projected to reach over 150,000 tonnes by 2025, supported by consistent end-of-life collection and stringent recycling targets.
• The EU’s new Battery Regulation requires minimum recycling efficiencies and mandatory recovery rates for materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel by 2026-2031.
• Recycled material is expected to supply over 15% of Europe’s battery-grade nickel and cobalt demand by 2030, based on current policy trajectories.
• North America, while showing promise, still lacks cohesive federal regulation, resulting in slower scale-up and fragmented progress across regions.
This divergence underscores the importance of immediate and coordinated investment in local battery recycling capabilities, not only to meet environmental targets but to reduce reliance on imported materials and mitigate the volatility of global critical mineral markets.
Recyclus Group’s Role in the Battery Supply Chain
Operating the UK’s first industrial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility, Recyclus is actively converting end-of-life batteries into feedstock for further refinement into battery-grade materials. Currently, this material, black mass, is processed through trusted external partners, while we work toward establishing our own UK-based downstream processing capability.
By capturing the embedded value of used batteries, Recyclus is:
• Enhancing resource security by feeding domestically sourced materials back into the battery ecosystem.
• Reducing environmental impact, diverting hazardous waste from landfill, and mitigating the carbon footprint of raw material extraction.
• Advancing the development of a circular battery economy in alignment with broader net-zero and electrification goals.
As global competition heats up, especially from countries such as China, the UK must act with urgency to establish itself as a key player in the battery supply chain.
Our work at Recyclus represents a critical step toward that future, providing scalable, compliant, and commercially viable solutions to the battery recycling challenge.
Our current partnerships enable us to meet demand today, while our long-term focus is clear: bring black mass refining capability back to the UK and close the loop on battery materials domestically.
Without a strong domestic recycling infrastructure, the UK risks falling behind in the race for battery independence. Black mass isn’t waste, it’s an opportunity. And at Recyclus, we’re making that opportunity count.