How to recycle batteries affects the environment?

Recycling batteries is something really complicated and unfortunately not feasible for everyone, it requires a lot of energy, which makes it really demanding. American scientists have found that in the case of lithium-ion LEP batteries, at current energy and raw material prices, it would be more profitable to produce a new battery than to recycle it. 

However, it was found that in the production of both NMC and NCA cells (found in electric cars), their negative impact on the environment was greater than that during recycling.  

Researchers concluded that the most beneficial of its forms is the one with the preservation and regeneration of part of the cathode. It is worth developing this method in order to reduce emissions during the recovery of valuable raw materials.

As for profitability, it is strongly dependent on moving prices on the market for metals obtained during recycling. 

Today, the most profitable is the extraction of cobalt, but its largest deposits are located in Central Africa, where it is obtained in an unethical way. So all hope in recycling.