CATL and Ellen MacArthur Foundation establish Strategic Partnership to advance battery circular economy

NINGDE, China, March 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have announced an agreement to accelerate the development of a circular economy for batteries, with CATL becoming a Strategic Partner, and the first renewable technology leader, in the Foundation's Network.

Looking ahead, CATL will work towards a global energy circularity commitment, and will collaborate with the Foundation to identify the circular economy opportunity for the entire battery value chain, and build an ecosystem of cross-industrial partners to develop and implement a blueprint for battery circularity. 

While the industry has long recognized the need to move beyond a 'take-make-waste' approach, translating commitment into reality is complex. The expertise CATL will bring to the Strategic Partnership will be key to establishing a truly circular battery industry.

"This Strategic Partnership represents a major step forward in our shared vision of a sustainable energy future," said Sandy Song, CATL's Global Lead for Circular Economy. "By combining our knowledge and innovation capabilities in the battery industry with the Foundation's leadership in the circular economy, we are well-positioned to create a truly circular battery ecosystem. This is not just about environmental responsibility—it's about driving innovation and building a system that benefits industries and communities worldwide."

"The rapid growth of renewable energy and electrification offers a unique chance to build circular value chains from the ground up. By embracing a circular economy, businesses can recover valuable resources from first-wave technologies, such as electric vehicles, rather than discarding them," said Joe Murphy, Executive Lead, Network, Ellen MacArthur Foundation. "As the world's foremost producer of batteries for both electric vehicles and energy storage systems, CATL's expertise will be key to establishing a truly circular battery industry and driving the circular economy of the wider energy transition."

Speaking at the Foundation's annual Network event in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Dennis Pan, Chief Sustainability Officer of CATL, emphasized the critical importance of designing batteries with recyclability in mind. CATL has adopted a zero-carbon strategy to prioritize using reusable and renewable materials and facilitate recycling. In 2024, CATL recycled about 130,000 tons of used batteries to produce 17,000 tons of lithium salt.

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