After that, Umicore will transform the cobalt into high-grade lithium cobalt oxide, which can be resold to battery manufacturers. One of the few byproducts of their approach is a clean, inertized slag containing calcium oxides and lithium. The slag goes into the production of special grades concretes.

Umicore’s battery recycling technology enables saving a minimum of 70% on CO₂ emissions at the recovery and refining of these metals, so it can substantially reduce the carbon footprint for the manufacturing of Lithium-Ion batteries.