Battery recycling has become a large environmental concern over the years. Many types of batteries are hazardous to the environment when left to the elements in a landfill, or incinerated. As a result of this, many companies and government agencies have put in place programs to encourage the recycling and reclamation of these batteries. In lithium ion batteries and even older nickel metal hydride and nickel cadmium batteries, the metal itself can be recovered and recycled into new batteries.

When a battery is taken to be recycled, the combustible materials such as plastics or insulation are removed. This leaves only the clean cells behind, which is where the metals are contained. These cells are chopped into small pieces and heated through until the metals liquefy. Any non-metal substances are burned off, leaving behind a black slag that floats to the top of the liquid metals, and is subsequently removed by a slag arm.

The metals left behind then settle into layers according to their composition, and are separated just like skimming the cream off milk, layer by layer. Cadmium is slightly different however. Since it is so light weight, when heated to this temperature, the cadmium actually vaporizes. Special vents carry that cadmium vapor to a chamber where it meets a cooling water mist, allowing it to reform as cadmium. This process is actually so effective, it leaves a 99.95% pure cadmium deposit behind.

Once these metals are melted, separated and reformed, they can be added into new casings and shipped back out, at a great reduction in cost. Not only that, they save a huge environmental impact and keep potentially harmful waste out of our disposal system. Batteries are so impactful on our environment in fact that due to legislation and environmental concern, 98% of automotive batteries are recycled in the US every year. The data for laptop batteries unfortunately falls well behind, but increases steadily every year.