The industrial landscape for battery recycling in germany: players, perspectives, and pathways

The accelerating transition toward electromobility necessitates effective strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and secure access to critical raw materials. Lithium-ion batteries, as the dominant energy storage technology in electric vehicles, play a central role in this transition but pose substantial challenges at end-of-life. Establishing robust and local recycling structures can mitigate raw material dependencies, strengthen supply chain resilience, and lower the overall environmental footprint of battery electric vehicles. This study provides a comprehensive examination of the emerging battery recycling landscape in Germany, one of Europe’s most influential automotive markets and a country characterized by limited domestic raw material availability. To achieve this, a systematic literature analysis is combined with field research, enabling an integrated assessment of both the scientific discourse and the industrial ecosystem. Firstly, the results include a descriptive analytics component that maps publication trends and industry visibility. Secondly, the article offers a structured content analysis that identifies key technological, economic, regulatory, and ecological emphases within the literature. Thirdly, the study encompasses an in-depth company analysis that elucidates the technological characteristics, material recovery strategies, and company figures of recycling actors in Germany. Building on these findings, the study proposes a recommendation framework that outlines targeted actions for research, industry, and policymakers. This framework aims to support the strategic development and scaling of the German battery recycling industry in the coming years and can serve as a blueprint for analogous investigations in other European countries.