CATL has launched an integrated battery recycling programme spanning 50 Chinese cities, establishing a network of collection centres, mobile recovery units, and centralised processing hubs designed to capture over 80% of EV batteries reaching end of life. The programme, branded “Infinite Life,” represents the largest single-company recycling infrastructure deployment in the global battery industry.
Vertical Integration Advantage
CATL’s recycling programme feeds directly into its cathode precursor production, creating a material loop that reduces raw material procurement costs by an estimated 25%. The company’s hydrometallurgical process recovers lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese at purities exceeding 99.5%, meeting the specifications for direct reuse in new CATL cells.
The scale of CATL’s deployment creates a significant competitive moat, as collection infrastructure and consumer partnerships take years to replicate. Western recyclers face the challenge of matching this integrated approach in more fragmented regulatory environments.
