Honda has expanded its battery recycling partnership with SNAM to improve the sustainability of its batteries.
The pan-European arrangement will see Societe Nouvelle d’Affinage des Metaux (SNAM) collect and recycle batteries from Honda’s hybrid and electric vehicles and prepare them for renewable energy storage or extract valuable materials for recycling.
Expanding an agreement that started in 2013, SNAM will collect lithium-ion and nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries from Honda’s dealer network and authorized treatment facilities in 22 countries before analyzing and processing them.
Tom Gardner, senior vice president of Honda Motor Europe, explained that as demand for hybrid and electric cars grows, so does the requirement to manage batteries in an environmentally friendly manner.
“Recent market developments may allow us to make use of these batteries in a second life application for powering businesses or by using recent improved recycling techniques to recover useful raw materials which can be used as feedstock into the production of new batteries,” he said.
On arrival, SNAM assesses which battery packs are suitable for use as new energy storage devices, then repurposes and makes them available for domestic and industrial applications.
Batteries that are unsuitable for a second life have materials including cobalt and lithium extracted using hydrometallurgy techniques, and the materials can be reused for purposes including new batteries or additives for mortar.
Dealers can arrange and request the collection of end-of-life batteries for treatment and recycling through SNAM’s dedicated online platform.
Collection can be arranged from centralized storage hubs within 15 working days and applies to larger traction batteries used to power motors in hybrid and electric vehicles.