German battery recycling startup Tozero has successfully tested a battery cell using 100% recycled graphite, marking what it calls an industry-first achievement at an industrial scale.
The company, which specializes in recycling lithium-ion batteries, said its test results demonstrated that battery cells made from recycled graphite perform comparably to those using newly mined material.
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Unlike conventional recycling methods that often result in graphite being burned or lost in waste streams due to the use of strong acids, Tozero claims its process recovers more than 80% of the graphite while preserving its morphological integrity, allowing it to be refined back to battery-grade quality.
“This is a milestone not just for Tozero, but for Europe’s battery industry as a whole,” said Sarah Fleischer, co-founder and CEO of Tozero. “We’ve already seen our recycled lithium successfully re-enter Europe’s supply chain, and now we’re proving the same for graphite. Despite being essential for battery stability, graphite is often overlooked in recycling—largely seen as unrecoverable—yet it is even more critical and geopolitically exposed than lithium.”
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The development comes amid rising demand for battery materials due to the expansion of electric mobility and large-scale renewable energy storage. Tozero estimates that graphite demand in the EU alone could increase by 20 to 25 times its current level by 2040.
With 98% of Europe’s graphite currently imported and China controlling over 90% of the global supply, battery manufacturers face supply chain vulnerabilities. Graphite also accounts for up to 40% of a battery’s total carbon footprint, making its recovery crucial for sustainability efforts.
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Tozero opened a pilot plant in 2023 in Karlsfeld near Munich, where it has been producing black mass and refining its chemical separation process. The company says its FOAK (First-of-a-Kind) plant will help decarbonize industries, secure local supply chains, and enable a truly circular economy by repurposing lithium-ion battery waste.