What's inside CATL and Ellen MacArthur's Circular Batteries?
At London Climate Action Week, a powerful message emerged from the high-level panel hosted by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation: the future of batteries must be circular.
Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), one of the worldās leading battery manufacturers, unveiled a shared ambition with the Foundation setting out that, in order to accelerate the transition to a circular battery economy, new battery production must be decoupled from the use of virgin raw materials.
Partnership for systemic change
Since forming their strategic partnership in early 2025, CATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation have been working together to embed circular economy principles across the battery value chain.
The shared ambition offers a starting point for the collaboration and innovation that must follow.
It is intended to guide not only CATL, but a broad community of global stakeholders seeking to redesign the system for long-term success.
This vision was introduced by Jiang Li, Vice President and Board Secretary of CATL, who presented a directional goal: within 20 years, half of all new battery production could be independent of virgin raw materials.
āNow 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,ā wrote Jonquil Hackenberg, CEO of Ellen MacArthur Foundation, on LinkedIn.
āWeāre 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.
āWhat 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.
āIām really excited to see so many of you in the room to collaborate moving forward.ā
This ambitious milestone aims to shape how industry scales partnerships, innovates and rethinks the battery lifecycle from design to recycling.
Environmental, economic and social
āThe circular battery system wonāt be built in a lab or a boardroom ā it will be shaped through collaboration, testing, and shared effort,ā explains Jiang Li.
āThis 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 ā all of which the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has long championed.ā
Projections suggest that by 2040, the global battery recycling market will exceed RMB 1.2 trillion (US$165bn), creating more than 10 million jobs, with more than half in developing countries.
Four principles for a circular battery future
At the core of this transformation lie four principles adapted from the Ellen MacArthur Foundationās framework.
Rethink Systems
Circularity demands systemic change.
By embedding circular thinking across mining, manufacturing and use, itās possible to reduce waste, lower carbon emissions and enhance resource resilience.
Redesign Products
Longevity, modularity and reuse must be embedded at the design stage.
Batteries should be easy to disassemble, repair and repurpose, ensuring they retain value far beyond their first life.
Rethink Business Models
Shifting from ownership to service-based or second-life models enables broader access and improves sustainability.
This approach decouples economic growth from raw material consumption.
Recycle Materials
High-quality, closed-loop recycling systems are essential to reclaim valuable materials and reduce reliance on extraction.
Greater material recovery ensures security and supports the circular loop.
CATLās progress in action
CATL is already putting these principles into practice through:
- Systems: The launch of its Carbon Chain Management System supports decarbonisation across the supply chain.
- Design: CATL has developed energy storage batteries with lifespans up to 18,000 cycles, slashing emissions and resource use.
- Mobility: Plans are underway for 10,000+ battery swap stations to boost efficiency and streamline battery recovery.
- Recycling: In 2024 alone, CATL recycled 130,000 tons of end-of-life batteries, recovering 17,000 tons of lithium salts. It now operates the worldās largest battery take-back network.
The future of circularity
To turn ambition into practical results, CATL has launched the Global Energy Circularity Commitment (GECC), an open platform uniting industry, academia and cities to trial and scale circular solutions.
This collaborative hub fosters shared learning and helps transform ideas into action.
The circular battery economy is not a concept to be confined to theory.
Delivering this vision will require transparency, innovation, and engagement across every link of the value chain.
The partnership between CATL and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a significant moment for sustainability in the energy transition.
By championing circular economy principles, they are laying the groundwork for a battery system that supports economic development, enhances resilience and protects the planet.
