Circular Batteries: CATL and Ellen MacArthur's Design
In an announcement during London Climate Action Week, contemporary developments in battery production were at the forefront of discussion.
Emphasis was placed on transitioning towards sustainable battery solutions, as highlighted by the high-profile panel hosted by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
The consensus was clear: the path forward for battery technologies needs to embrace circular economy principles.
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), one of the world’s renowned battery manufacturers, introduced an initiative co-developed with the Foundation, to accelerate the shift towards a circular battery economy, aiming to decouple new battery production from reliance on virgin raw materials.
Partnership for systemic change
CATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have fostered a strategic partnership since early 2025.
The collaboration seeks to integrate circular economy principles across the entire battery value chain, proposing a foundation for the necessary collaboration and innovation that lies ahead.
Jiang Li, Vice President and Board Secretary of CATL, articulated this ambition with a long-range vision: within two decades, the battery sector could produce half of its new batteries independent of virgin raw materials.
Jonquil Hackenberg, CEO of Ellen MacArthur Foundation, elaborated on this vision in a LinkedIn post: “Now is the time to double down on specific macro areas that are going to see scale-up and circular economy in action. One of those areas is critical minerals,”
“We’re focusing on critical minerals to understand how circularity can play a role in times where politics is polarising the world and material security is more critical than ever and this is an apolitical discussion about keeping materials in circulation.
“What the Foundation does best is to convene people, to understand the research and unlock insights so we can help investment flow in terms of infrastructure, innovation and technology.
“I’m really excited to see so many of you in the room to collaborate moving forward.”
The goal of this collaboration is clear: to reshape industry dynamics, foster partnerships and innovate throughout the lifetime of batteries, from their initial design through to recycling.
Environmental, economic and social considerations
“The circular battery system won’t be built in a lab or a boardroom — it will be shaped through collaboration, testing, and shared effort,” explains Jiang Li.
“This ambition is a signal to help drive that work forward. Achieving it will require global collaboration, cross-sector learning and open engagement across the value chain — all of which the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has long championed.”
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has been a persistent advocate for these approaches.
It is projected that by 2040, the global battery recycling market could reach US$165bn, generating employment for more than 10 million people, with a significant number of jobs emerging from developing countries.
Principles for a circular battery future
The transformative journey towards a circular battery economy is guided by four foundational principles, adapted from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s framework:
Rethink Systems — Circularity implies systemic transformation. By embedding circular approaches across mining, manufacturing, and application phases, it reduces waste, lessens carbon emissions, and enhances resilience.
Redesign Products — Ensure longevity, modularity, and reuse during the design phase. Batteries should be easily disassembled, repaired, and repurposed, ensuring sustained value beyond their first life.
Rethink Business Models — Transitioning to service-based or second-life business models enables broader accessibility and promotes sustainability, delinking economic expansion from raw material usage.
Recycle Materials — Implementing robust, closed-loop recycling systems ensures the reclamation of valuable materials, reducing dependency on new extraction efforts.
CATL’s initiatives in action
CATL exemplifies these principles through actions:
- Systems: Adoption of its Carbon Chain Management System facilitates decarbonisation across supply chains.
- Design: Development of energy storage batteries boasting lifespans up to 18,000 cycles, significantly cutting resource use and emissions.
- Mobility: Plans in place for over 10,000 battery swap stations to enhance efficiency and accelerate battery recovery.
- Recycling: In 2024 alone, the recycling of 130,000 tons of end-of-life batteries reclaimed 17,000 tons of lithium salts, establishing CATL as the operator of the world's most extensive battery take-back network.
The future of circularity
Turning this vision into tangible outcomes, CATL has initiated the Global Energy Circularity Commitment (GECC), a collaborative platform uniting various industries, academic institutions, and urban centers to pilot and amplify circular solutions.
By promoting knowledge sharing and leveraging collaborative energies, this hub aims to transform innovative ideas into real-world applications.
The partnership between CATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation signifies an essential step towards achieving sustainability in energy transitions.
By prioritising circular economy principles, it is laying the foundations for a battery system that supports economic growth, postures resilience, and safeguards our planet.
