Global competition for critical minerals is reshaping economic and technological leadership. Lithium, cobalt, and nickel power everything from electric vehicles to grid-scale storage. Yet as demand surges, access remains fragile, with much of the world’s mining and refining capacity concentrated outside the United States.
The U.S. cannot afford to wait for long-term fixes to mineral security. As CEO of The Battery Network, I see firsthand that one of the fastest ways to strengthen supply chains isn’t opening new mines—it’s recovering the materials already in circulation. Battery recycling is often framed as a sustainability choice. In reality, it is one of the most immediate and underutilized tools for domestic supply.
The stakes are immediate
Demand for critical minerals is accelerating from electric vehicles, consumer electronics, and energy storage. Global lithium demand alone is expected to grow more than 40 times by 2040, driven largely by clean energy technologies. At the same time, the U.S. remains heavily dependent on foreign refining, with China controlling a significant share of global processing capacity.
This imbalance creates a clear risk: the materials driving growth are not fully within our control.
Countries that can stabilize supply and reclaim materials domestically will gain an advantage—not just in resilience, but in product innovation and speed to market.
Recycling is the fastest path forward
Mining remains essential, but it is slow, capital-intensive, and subject to permitting and geopolitical constraints. Recycling, by contrast, is available today.
While much of the conversation around battery demand has centered on EVs and grid storage, a significant portion of the same materials is already embedded in everyday devices like electronics, power tools, and e-bikes. These materials are in circulation and recoverable now. In fact, up to 95% of critical minerals like cobalt, nickel, and lithium can be recovered from used batteries using existing recycling technologies.
Recycling doesn’t replace mining; it accelerates supply. Each battery recovered reduces reliance on foreign sources and strengthens domestic control over critical materials. That means batteries already in circulation represent a significant domestic source of materials that would otherwise need to be mined or imported.
Turning recycling into infrastructure
Every battery collected represents material that does not need to be sourced abroad. While individual volumes may seem modest, recovery scales quickly—and in tight global markets, incremental supply matters.
Recovered materials also enable domestic refining. Without feedstock, refining capacity cannot grow. Recycling is what turns circularity into infrastructure.
Energy independence isn’t achieved overnight; it’s built step by step. Recycling is one of the fastest ways to begin shifting that balance.
At The Battery Network, we operate a nationwide system with over 20,000 collection sites, along with specialized programs for e-mobility and EV batteries. These programs recover materials that would otherwise be lost, or worse, result in fires in the waste system if disposed of incorrectly.
This isn’t a future concept. It’s a working system. The question is whether industry and policymakers will scale it to meet the moment.
A call to action
A significant share of the materials needed to power the next generation of technology is already within U.S. borders, embedded in used batteries that too often go unrecovered.
Battery recycling converts that untapped supply into a reliable domestic resource stream. What The Battery Network is doing today is just the start: building the upstream supply that makes true diversification possible.
This goes beyond environmental considerations. It is about securing supply chains, stabilizing costs, and strengthening America’s competitive position in a resource-constrained global economy. Energy independence is not a switch you flip. It is built step by step, and recycling is one of the fastest ways to begin shifting that balance.
The opportunity is immediate. Realizing it will require coordinated investment, smarter policy frameworks, and stronger participation from both industry and consumers.
Leo Raudys, CEO, The Battery Network
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