4. Battery ageing and reuse

It's important to remember that chemical recycling, i.e. the recovery of chemical elements, is only the final stage in the circular economy of batteries. This is based on the 4R rule (Reduce/Reuse/Recycle):

• reduce: consume less or substitute one object with another that requires fewer resources;

• reuse: take the object as is for the same purpose;

• reuse: take parts of the object for another use;

• recycle: recover what is valuable in the object.