Survey: Concerns on the Rise in Americans Regarding Electric Vehicle Battery Disposal, Despite Surging EV Battery Recycling Trends

The electric vehicle (EV) market is growing rapidly in the United States and concerns regarding the end-of-life fate of lithium-ion EV batteries have become prevalent among Americans.

A new study commissioned by Ascend Elements sheds light on the public’s concerns about the potentially troublesome batteries.

The annual study, conducted by an independent research firm, surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. consumers randomly regarding their beliefs and attitudes about lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles.

The study revealed that 71 percent of U.S. adults have concerns about the disposal of EV batteries, up from 54 percent in 2022. The surge in concern is accompanied by perceptions that EV batteries may contribute to "toxic landfills," with 56 percent of survey respondents expressing this belief, up from 48 percent in the previous year.

The study also highlights a fundamental misunderstanding about the recyclability of lithium-ion EV batteries. Although nearly 40 percent of respondents believe these batteries are not recyclable, there is a positive trend with a decline from 47 percent in 2022.

Eric Gratz, Ph.D., Co-founder, and CTO of Ascend Elements, emphasized the need for public education.

"When I see this data, I can't help thinking we're not doing enough to educate the public about lithium-ion battery recycling," said Gratz. "Lithium-ion batteries, including EV batteries, are recyclable. The metals inside an EV battery are incredibly valuable and infinitely recyclable. I would expect electric vehicle batteries to end up in landfills about as often as gold bars."

Ascend Elements currently can recycle 30,000 metric tons of EV batteries per year, approximately 20 percent of North America's current lithium-ion battery recycling capacity.

Despite advancements in lithium-ion battery recycling, false narratives persist. Roger Lin, VP of Government Affairs at Ascend Elements, underscores the importance of creating an infrastructure that makes it "unthinkable" to landfill lithium-ion batteries due to their significant value.

"The industry has made terrific advances in the efficiency and economics of lithium-ion battery recycling, but these false narratives about EV batteries continue," said Lin. "We are changing that by creating an infrastructure that would make it unthinkable to let a lithium-ion battery go to landfill. They are just too valuable."

While lithium-ion batteries are indeed too valuable to be tossed into landfills, they are also incredibly dangerous when disposed of incorrectly. Lithium-ion batteries can cause fires and explosions at waste management facilities and recycling centers and should only be disposed of at authorized collection centers.

While Americans aren’t perfect, the public has grown in learning how to properly recycle lithium-ion batteries. In the survey, only 21 percent of respondents said that lithium-ion batteries can be thrown into household recycling bins, down from 33 percent in 2022.

Only 15 percent said lithium-ion batteries can be thrown in the trash, compared to 27 percent in last year’s survey.

"For the record, lithium-ion batteries should never be put in the trash or the household recycling bin," Dr. Gratz said. "While I'd like to see universal awareness of these basic recycling facts, the survey data suggests we've made some progress since last year."