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At RCS, we recycle any type of batteries but those that are more commonly recycled include:
Since 2006 in Europe, Directive 2006/66/EC has mandated that at least 50% of the materials contained in used batteries and accumulators be recycled.
The supply of battery metals such as cobalt, lithium and nickel is limited and due to the sharp increase in demand is expected to become scarce in the near future.
You may be surprised, to think that the International Congress for Battery Recycling ICBR will be hosting its 30th consecutive annual event this year, but perhaps less so, that it was only the second Electric Vehicle Battery and Recycling Forum event in February 2025.
These events are for battery producers, recycling companies, critical raw material suppliers, and the entire battery supply chain from across the globe and it's a competitive business.
One of the primary obstacles in recycling end-of-life batteries is the high cost involved. Battery components are complex and require specialised equipment to process the recycling.
Standardisation is the next problem in Electric Vehicle Battery Production, the biggest area of battery production growth.
There is none, with intense competition in proprietary battery technology.
At the same time, the number of end-of-life electric vehicles will increase in the coming years.
Battery recycling solutions must therefore evolve to manage all these resources in a sustainable way and also to reuse selected batteries and extend their useful lives to the maximum.
In the world of Electric Vehicles EV's the practicalities of owning an electric vehicle and the "Range Anxiety" associated with it has been tackled, with massive investment where you drive into something akin to an automatic car wash, but once you have rolled in, the fully automated system removes your existing low mileage battery and replaces it with a charged version.
In China and Asia swap in and out batteries have become commonplace for millions of electric scooters owners, where they clip out the two existing batteries, which goes into the recharging facility and clip in the identical sized new battery and drive away, all done in under 40 seconds.
Success of this business model in Taiwan with over 2,000 battery replacement stations (GoStations) , prompted expansion into mainland China and in 2025 Singapore.
This is now available for cars and trucks where you drive in, your vehicle battery is automatically removed and replaced and you drive out with a fully charged battery.
This is complemented by over 3,172 Power Swap Stations covering over 700 cities whilst still allowing users to charge their cars from charging points if they wish.
European Car Battery Pilot Schemes are ongoing in the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden.
Scooter Battery replacement at a “Swap Station” in India. Will it catch on in Europe for cars?
Retail parks and supermarkets have adopted the eminently practical idea of enhancing the customer experience by providing covered car parks whilst at the same time adorning them with solar panels to reduce their electricity costs.
This, in addition to the millions of domestic versions mounted on roofs, and those that you simply hang out of your window to catch the rays so that you can offset the electricity bill.
Solar energy, some countries will benefit more than others.
These batteries store energy for local consumption, but also divert energy, surplus to requirement, to the local electricity grid, and are a significant part of the ongoing infrastructure development initiatives to compliment and compensate for fluctuating, renewable, but weather dependent solar, wind and hydro power supplies.
Key extracts from the National Grid Statistics demonstrates fluctuation and inconsistencies of renewable energy supplies.
Offshore wind power, wonderful when the wind blows
The UK electricity consumption has declined in the last decade, more specifically in the industrial sector and as of 2023 was at it's lowest this century.
Having said that, the UK remains one of the largest electricity consumers in the world, but lags behind that of France, Germany and Norway.
However it is anticipated that this year (2025) will see growth.
Battery demand and production however is soaring, powering everything from remote control car locks in your key fob, the five TV remote controls on your coffee table, mobile phones (possibly the most overcharged accessory in the world), laptop and wireless computer accessories, headphones, cordless power tools, to standard car batteries and EV Car batteries and emergency backup batteries; the list goes on.
Batteries are powering everything from the remote control car lock in your key fob, the five TV remote controls on your coffee table, mobile phones, possibly the most overcharged accessory in the world, (you have two old ones in the kitchen drawer with all sorts of bits and bobs in it) laptop and wireless computer accessories, headphones, cordless power tools, to standard car batteries and EV Car batteries and emergency backup batteries; the list goes on.
RCS Safely and Responsibly Recycle Waste into Reusable Material RCS Recycling is registered with the Environment Agency as Carrier, Broker, Dealer (Upper Tier).
We collect commercial and hazardous waste operating in 18 counties (and counting) in the UK public and private sectors diverting waste away from landfill sites by recycling it.