Batería doméstica Reciclaje: What Happens After the Vida útil?

The end of the vida útil: a growing issue

The first generation of baterías domésticas that were installed on a large scale around 2015-2018 is approaching the end of its vida útil. At the same time, the number of new installations is growing explosively. The demand for sustainable reciclaje of lithium-ion batteries — including LiFePO4 (LFP) baterías domésticas — is becoming increasingly urgent.

The good news: baterías domésticas are highly recyclable, and the industry is investing heavily in better reciclaje technologies. Moreover, a decommissioned batería doméstica is rarely truly 'spent': with 70-80% remaining capacity, a meaningful second life is often possible.

What materials are in a batería doméstica?

To understand why reciclaje is so important, you need to know what is inside an LFP battery cell. The main components are:

• Lithium iron phosphate (LFP): cathode material — the most stable and less scarce cathode choice
• Graphite: anode material — mostly mined in China, mining has environmental impact
• Copper: current collectors and wiring — high recyclability
• Aluminium: housing and current collectors — valuable and highly recyclable
• Electrolyte (lithium salt in organic solvent): the most challenging component for reciclaje — requires specialised processing

Reciclaje processes: how are batteries processed?

There are three main processes for battery reciclaje, each with its own advantages and disadvantages:

Pyrometallurgy (smelting)

In pyrometallurgy, batteries are melted at high temperatures. This is a robust process that is widely applied, but it is energy-intensive and does not efficiently recover all materials. For LFP batteries, pyrometallurgy is less optimal than for NMC batteries due to the lower cobalt and nickel concentrations.

Hydrometallurgy (wet chemical processing)

Hydrometallurgy dissolves the battery materials in acid and then separates the valuable metals. This process achieves higher material recovery than smelting and is the most suitable for LFP batteries. Companies such as Umicore, Fortum and the European BASF are investing heavily in hydrometallurgical reciclaje of baterías domésticas.

Second life: an intermediate step before reciclaje

Many baterías domésticas are not recycled immediately at the end of their primary vida útil. With 70-80% remaining capacity, they are perfectly suited for applications with less demanding requirements:

• Stationary almacenamiento de energía at industrial level: decommissioned EV batteries and baterías domésticas are combined into large almacenamiento de energía parks
• Alimentación de respaldo systems for telecom towers: lower capacity is sufficient for backup applications
• Community storage: batteries are grouped for neighbourhood storage or homeowners' association projects
• Fuera de la red applications: caravans, boats and small fuera de la red dwellings are less critical about capacity

Manufacturer responsibility: the Battery Regulation

The European Battery Regulation (EU 2023/1542) imposes strict obligations on manufacturers of industrial batteries and EV batteries. Baterías domésticas partially fall under these rules. Key obligations:

Manufacturers must provide a battery passport with material information. Minimum reciclaje percentages apply (by 2027: 65% for lithium batteries, by 2031: 70%). Manufacturers are responsible for collection through producer responsibility (WEEE Directive). In practice, this means: anyone who buys a batería doméstica from a reputable manufacturer (Anker, Dyness, BYD, Huawei) can expect a collection and reciclaje system to be available.

How do you correctly dispose of your batería doméstica?

In los Países Bajos, baterías domésticas are classified as hazardous waste and must not be disposed of with general waste. The correct disposal routes are:

1. Return to manufacturer or dealer: most manufacturers have a take-back programme. At HES, we collect old batteries upon delivery of a new system. 2. Municipal waste collection point (reciclaje centre): large batteries are accepted as small hazardous waste. 3. Specialist battery processor: for larger systems (>10 kWh), a specialised company handles the collection.