Lithium's Second Life

India lacks domestic lithium reserves, yet its electric-mobility ambitions hinge on it. Recycling is the only viable solution, but the country's efforts remain inadequate, informal and technologically backward

- Aditi Ray Chowdhury

In 1991, Kurt Cobain, lead singer of the American grunge band Nirvana, wrote a song about a man with bipolar disorder who turned to religion after losing the love of his life. He titled it “Lithium”, after the chemical used to treat the condition at the time.

Three decades on, batteries made of lithium are expected to help save the polar ice caps from melting by leading the electric-mobility transition. Yet India possesses little to no lithium of its own. Its only viable strategy is to recycle. But its efforts are far from enough.

Millions of electric rickshaws ply the streets of India's towns and cities. Their batteries degrade, malfunction and are swapped. But what becomes of the old ones?

One of two things. Some are returned to manufacturers. Most, however, end up in scrapyard. Nearly 95% of India's lithium-ion batteries are believed to land in rubbish tips, though no official figures exist.

Spent lithium batteries hold valuable minerals—lithium, cobalt, nickel and more. Informal waste workers pick them apart, extracting select materials, but much of the lithium is lost. India discards an estimated 50,000-70,000 metric tonnes of lithium-ion batteries annually. A single scrap mobile phone or laptop contains 3-4gm of lithium; an electric vehicle battery holds nearly 8gm.

Reason to Recycle