Alex Bunodiere and Joost R. Duflou from KU Leuven’s Department of Mechanical Engineering have proposed a profitable and scalable circular economy model for lithium-ion battery reuse, targeting Bosch Gen 3 power tool batteries. The study, presented at the 6th PLATE Conference in Aalborg, evaluates robotic disassembly and battery cell reuse strategies to maximise critical raw material (CRM) recovery and economic return.
The model integrates robotic disassembly, state-of-health (SoH) testing, and remanufacturing of high-performing battery cells into new products. Two battery collection methods were compared: incentivised returns (vouchers for customers) and post-consumer waste sorting at recycling centres. Using Monte Carlo simulations to model economic uncertainty, the authors show that while incentivised returns lead to higher-quality cells, they are less likely to be profitable due to logistics and refund costs. In contrast, waste sorting is more cost-efficient and consistently profitable, albeit with lower cell quality.
Most notably, the study demonstrates that robotic disassembly can recover battery components with greater purity and value than traditional shredding methods. Reused high-SoH cells are remanufactured into new batteries, while others are sold to low-demand energy storage markets or recycled directly. The authors conclude that targeted battery reuse, not just recycling, is a key enabler for improving CRM circularity and economic viability in Europe’s growing battery sector.
Reference:
Bunodiere, A., & Duflou, J. R. (2025). Enhancing Critical Raw Material Usage through Battery Cell Extraction and Reuse. 6th PLATE Conference, Aalborg, Denmark.
Acknowledgements:
This work was supported by the ERA-MIN3 project SCANDERE (grant number 101003575).
