How can telecom lithium batteries from China achieve sustainable end-of-life and recycling?

Telecom lithium batteries produced in China are entering retirement at unprecedented scale, forcing operators and OEMs to rethink end-of-life management and adopt closed-loop recycling solutions that reduce cost, risk, and emissions while unlocking secondary value for network resilience and ESG performance.

How is the current telecom lithium battery landscape creating end-of-life pressure?

According to the International Energy Agency, global lithium‑ion battery demand grew from about 330 GWh in 2021 to more than 700 GWh in 2024, driven largely by EVs, energy storage, and telecom infrastructure. At the same time, analysts estimate that end‑of‑life lithium‑ion batteries could reach 8 million tons per year by 2040, with China accounting for more than 40% of this volume due to its dominant cell and pack manufacturing base and large installed base of batteries in EVs, telecom, and stationary storage. Research on China’s power battery recycling system shows that while midstream processing capacity is expanding rapidly, upstream collection networks and downstream reuse markets still lag behind, leading to low effective recycling rates and safety risks during storage, transport, and informal dismantling.
For telecom operators using lithium batteries produced in China, this translates into three immediate pain points: growing stockpiles of retired or underperforming base-station batteries, rising compliance and ESG pressures from regulators and investors, and missed opportunities to recover materials or repurpose batteries for lower‑demand applications such as backup, micro‑grids, or community storage.

In telecom networks, lithium batteries (including LiFePO4 and NMC) are used extensively for BTS (base transceiver station), data center backup, and outdoor cabinets, typically designed for 8–15 years of service depending on depth of discharge, temperature, and maintenance. However, accelerated 5G rollouts, densification of sites, and more frequent power outages in some regions mean that many batteries reach their technical or economic end‑of‑life earlier than planned, especially in harsh outdoor conditions.
Studies on power battery life cycles in China highlight that many end‑of‑life batteries are not properly tracked, leading to irregular collection, unsafe storage, and leakage of value to informal recyclers who focus on high‑value chemistries and discard lower‑value materials. For telecom-specific packs, these gaps are even more pronounced because volumes per site are smaller, asset ownership is fragmented (operators, tower companies, and OEMs), and historical documentation on serial numbers, health data, and chemistry is often incomplete.

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From a sustainability and policy perspective, China has introduced extended producer responsibility (EPR) frameworks for power batteries, and regulators aim to establish a comprehensive recycling and utilization system by 2025, including standardized tracing, certified recyclers, and cascading utilization. This pushes telecom OEMs and operators to move from ad‑hoc battery replacement toward structured lifecycle management—tracking batteries from production to second life and final recycling. For global buyers sourcing telecom lithium batteries from China, this means that choosing partners with robust end‑of‑life programs is now as critical as selecting for performance and price.

For example, Redway Battery, as an OEM lithium battery manufacturer in Shenzhen with over 13 years of experience, is increasingly working with international telecom and energy clients that expect not just high-performance LiFePO4 packs but also clear end-of-life paths, including documentation, diagnostics, and cooperation with certified recyclers or second‑life integrators. This shift reflects a broader industry move from “sell and forget” to “design for lifecycle,” where end-of-life and recycling strategies are built into the initial battery specification and contractual agreements.

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What are the main pain points of current end-of-life management for telecom lithium batteries?

First, asset visibility and traceability remain weak. Many telecom operators and tower companies cannot accurately answer basic questions such as: How many lithium battery packs are installed across the network? What is their remaining useful life? Which packs are safe for second‑life applications, and which must be dismantled and recycled? Lack of serial-level tracking, incomplete service logs, and inconsistent battery management systems (BMS) data all contribute to blind spots.

Second, logistics and safety risks are significant. End-of-life lithium batteries are classified as hazardous goods; they require proper packaging, state‑of‑charge control, and compliant transport. In practice, batteries are sometimes stored in improvised warehouses, mixed with other e‑waste, or shipped without proper discharge and protection, increasing fire and leakage risks. This is particularly acute for telecom networks with thousands of distributed sites, where collection and consolidation can be complex and expensive if not centrally planned.

Third, economic incentives are often misaligned. Traditional recycling models focus on recovering high‑value materials like cobalt and nickel, which means LiFePO4 telecom batteries are sometimes considered less attractive, despite their long life and safety. Without a clear value‑sharing model between operators, OEMs, and recyclers, many batteries sit idle or are sold to informal channels at low prices, losing potential value from second‑life deployment or high‑efficiency material recovery.

How do traditional recycling and disposal approaches fall short for telecom lithium batteries?

Traditional disposal approaches for telecom batteries have largely followed three paths: basic material shredding by general e‑waste handlers, partial reuse without standardized testing, and landfilling or improper storage when no immediate buyer is available. These approaches are increasingly incompatible with regulatory, ESG, and business requirements.

Conventional pyrometallurgical recycling involves high-temperature smelting to recover metals, often consuming significant energy, generating greenhouse gas emissions, and requiring additional treatment for slag and off‑gas. This may be viable for certain high‑value chemistries but is less compelling for LiFePO4 telecom batteries with lower cobalt or nickel content. Hydrometallurgical methods based on strong acids and bases can recover more materials but often produce corrosive wastewater and require extensive neutralization before discharge.

A second limitation is the lack of telecom‑specific design in traditional recycling networks. Many recycling systems are optimized for EV packs, which have higher individual capacity and more standardized form factors. Telecom packs, particularly those customized for specific cabinets or climate conditions, can be more diverse in size, configuration, and BMS design, making dismantling and testing more complex. Generic recyclers may lack the data interfaces and protocols to safely discharge, diagnose, and disassemble telecom‑grade lithium packs.

Why is a lifecycle, data‑driven solution necessary for telecom lithium battery end-of-life and recycling?

A lifecycle, data‑driven solution treats telecom batteries not as waste but as managed assets that move through defined stages: production, deployment, monitoring, first life optimization, second‑life repurposing where feasible, and finally high‑efficiency material recovery. This approach reduces total cost of ownership, supports ESG targets, and aligns with evolving regulations in China and global markets.

Redway Battery exemplifies this lifecycle thinking by integrating MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) and OEM/ODM engineering into its battery design and production processes. For telecom customers, this means that each LiFePO4 pack can be delivered with traceable serial numbers, BMS data structures, and documentation that later simplifies end‑of‑life diagnostics and decision‑making. When batteries approach retirement, the same data can be used to determine whether they are suitable for second life (e.g., stationary storage) or should go directly to material recovery.

Emerging recycling technologies in China further strengthen the case for lifecycle solutions. New methods based on neutral‑solution leaching using glycine or processes that use carbon dioxide and water as key reagents have demonstrated high recovery rates—up to 99.99% lithium and high percentages of nickel, cobalt, and manganese—while significantly reducing the use of harsh chemicals and energy. Combined with network‑optimization models for battery collection and third‑party recycling, these innovations make it possible to design end‑of‑life strategies that are both environmentally and economically attractive for telecom operators.

What solution architecture can telecom operators use for end-of-life and recycling of Chinese-made lithium batteries?

A practical solution architecture for telecom lithium batteries produced in China can be built around five pillars: product design and data, network‑wide asset visibility, standardized triage and second‑life allocation, high‑efficiency recycling partnerships, and governance/ESG integration.

1. Product design and data integration

• Use OEMs like Redway Battery that provide telecom‑grade LiFePO4 packs with robust BMS, traceable serials, and integration with MES and quality systems.

• Define data requirements at the specification stage: cycle count, SOH (state of health), SOE (state of energy), temperature history, alarm logs, and firmware compatibility.

• Ensure that all packs deployed in the network can be remotely monitored or at least periodically read via service tools to feed a central asset database.

2. Network‑wide asset visibility

• Implement a centralized battery asset management platform that aggregates data from BMS, site controllers, and maintenance records.

• For legacy packs without connectivity, implement field audit campaigns to capture at least serials, install dates, and basic performance indicators.

• Use predictive analytics to forecast remaining life at site and portfolio levels, flagging batteries approaching end‑of‑life for planned replacement instead of reactive swaps after failures.

3. Standardized triage and second‑life allocation

• Define clear thresholds for triage: for example, batteries with SOH above a certain percentage and acceptable internal resistance can be considered for second‑life applications, while others go directly to recycling.

• Partner with integrators to redeploy second‑life telecom batteries into micro‑grids, small commercial storage, off‑grid telecom, or rural community power where lower power density is acceptable.

• Create standard operating procedures (SOPs) for safety checks, discharge, and re‑testing before any second‑life deployment.

4. High‑efficiency recycling partnerships

• For batteries not suitable for second life, establish contracts with certified recyclers in China that utilize advanced hydrometallurgical or hybrid processes designed to minimize environmental impact and maximize material recovery.

• Design collection and logistics routes based on optimized recycling network models, consolidating batteries from multiple regions to achieve scale and lower unit transport cost.

• Align material recovery outputs (e.g., lithium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, aluminum, copper) with upstream suppliers, enabling closed‑loop supply where feasible.

5. Governance, compliance, and ESG integration

• Embed extended producer responsibility and end‑of‑life clauses into supplier agreements, requiring OEMs and recyclers to meet specified environmental and reporting standards.

• Report on lifecycle battery metrics in ESG disclosures: total batteries collected, percentage reused or cascaded, recycling rates by material, and avoided emissions compared with virgin material extraction.

• Conduct periodic audits of partners to ensure compliance with Chinese and international regulations on hazardous waste, worker safety, and emissions.

Redway Battery can play a central role in this architecture by serving as both the OEM providing telecom‑optimized LiFePO4 packs and the technical partner for lifecycle data, second‑life evaluation, and coordination with certified recyclers. With four factories and a 100,000 ft² production area, Redway can also integrate recovered materials into new pack production where supply chains support it, further closing the loop.

Which advantages does a modern lifecycle solution offer compared with traditional practices?

Solution advantages table: traditional vs lifecycle approach

How can telecom operators implement this solution step by step?

1. Define strategy and scope

• Map which lithium battery types and sites fall under the program (5G BTS, outdoor cabinets, data centers, remote sites).

• Set policy targets: e.g., 95% collection rate, 80% of recoverable materials recycled through certified partners, minimum 20% of retired batteries evaluated for second life.

2. Select OEM and recycling partners

• Consolidate suppliers around a short list of OEMs with strong lifecycle capabilities, such as Redway Battery for LiFePO4 telecom batteries and energy storage systems.

• Run due diligence on recyclers in China focusing on process technology, environmental permits, and reporting capabilities.

3. Establish data and asset management

• Integrate battery data (BMS, site controllers, maintenance logs) into a centralized platform.

• For new batteries, include digital IDs and data requirements in the purchase contracts with Redway Battery and other OEMs.

4. Develop triage criteria and SOPs

• Define measurable thresholds for second‑life, direct recycling, and continued first‑life operation.

• Document SOPs for onsite testing, safe discharge, de‑installation, packaging, and transport.

5. Pilot and refine

• Run a pilot in one or two regions or with one tower company, tracking KPIs such as collection rate, failure reduction, and recycling recovery value.

• Adjust triage thresholds and logistics routings based on pilot results to optimize cost and performance.

6. Scale and integrate into BAU (business as usual)

• Roll out across the full network, integrating end‑of‑life planning into routine maintenance and expansion projects.

• Negotiate multi‑year framework agreements with OEMs like Redway Battery and recyclers to stabilize pricing and service levels.

7. Monitor KPIs and report

• Track and report key metrics: number of packs retired, second‑life deployment capacity, recovered material tonnage, and CO₂‑equivalent emissions avoided compared to virgin materials.

• Use these metrics in ESG, sustainability reports, and customer communications to demonstrate responsible lifecycle management.

What real‑world scenarios illustrate the value of this approach?

Scenario 1: 5G macro base stations in hot climate

• Problem: A mobile operator in a hot, high‑humidity region experiences accelerated degradation of outdoor telecom lithium batteries, with unplanned failures causing site outages and costly emergency replacements.

• Traditional approach: Replace failed packs reactively, send old batteries to local scrap handlers with minimal testing, and accept low resale value and uncertain environmental performance.

• New solution outcome: By partnering with an OEM like Redway Battery, deploying LiFePO4 packs designed for high‑temperature operation, and implementing continuous monitoring, the operator identifies batteries nearing end‑of‑life before failure. Retired packs are triaged: those with sufficient SOH are redeployed into non‑critical backup roles; others go to certified recyclers using advanced processes.

• Key benefits: Reduced outage incidents, lower emergency maintenance costs, higher residual value from second‑life use, and documented recycling performance for ESG reporting.

Scenario 2: Tower company consolidating multi‑vendor networks

• Problem: A tower company managing infrastructure for several operators inherits a mixed fleet of telecom lithium batteries from various Chinese OEMs, many without clear documentation. Asset records are inconsistent, and storage sites accumulate retired packs without clear disposal plans.

• Traditional approach: Periodic bulk sales of mixed batteries to scrap dealers at low prices, with no visibility into final treatment and ongoing risk from growing stockpiles.

• New solution outcome: The tower company standardizes future deployments with OEMs like Redway Battery that provide consistent data formats and MES‑backed traceability, then conducts a one‑time asset audit. Using a centralized database, it plans staged replacement and triage, sending batteries to a network of certified recyclers optimized for collection routes.

• Key benefits: Reduced safety and compliance risk, optimized logistics, improved financial planning, and ability to negotiate better terms with a smaller number of high‑quality suppliers and recyclers.

Scenario 3: Data center telecom backup in urban China

• Problem: A data center operator uses large banks of telecom-grade lithium batteries for UPS and backup. Many banks are nearing end‑of‑life simultaneously, posing a risk of degraded backup time and potential SLA violations with cloud customers.

• Traditional approach: Replace entire banks on a calendar basis, discard old packs with limited testing, and rely on generic recyclers with unknown recovery efficiency.

• New solution outcome: The operator works with Redway Battery to perform detailed diagnostics at string and pack level. Batteries with acceptable performance are grouped and redeployed for lower‑demand backup roles, while truly end‑of‑life packs are sent to recyclers using high‑efficiency hydrometallurgical processes that recover most of the lithium and metals.

• Key benefits: Better matching of battery capability to application, reduced capital expenditure by extending useful life where safe, and quantifiable environmental benefits from high‑efficiency recycling.

Scenario 4: Rural and off‑grid telecom/energy projects

• Problem: A telecom operator expands coverage into rural and off‑grid regions where new batteries are costly to deploy due to logistics, and demand per site is relatively low. Simultaneously, the operator has a growing pool of retired urban telecom batteries in warehouses.

• Traditional approach: Purchase new batteries for rural deployments while slowly liquidating retired batteries through scrap channels.

• New solution outcome: The operator, together with Redway Battery’s engineering team, designs standardized second‑life LiFePO4 cabinet solutions using carefully tested retired telecom batteries. These are deployed into rural base stations and community micro‑grids, with monitoring to ensure safety and performance. End‑of‑life for these second‑life packs is managed through the same recycling partners.

• Key benefits: Lower CAPEX for rural expansion, increased access to energy in remote communities, improved lifecycle utilization of existing assets, and stronger ESG narrative around circular economy.

Why should telecom players act now, and what future trends will shape end-of-life and recycling?

First, regulatory and market pressure is accelerating. China’s roadmap to a comprehensive power battery recycling and utilization system by 2025, combined with global moves toward stricter EPR regulations, means that operators and OEMs without robust end‑of‑life strategies will face rising compliance and reputational risks. Telecom infrastructure is critical national and economic infrastructure; regulators and investors increasingly expect full lifecycle stewardship, including end‑of‑life batteries.

Second, technological innovation is changing the economics. Breakthrough recycling methods that achieve extremely high lithium and metal recovery rates while using neutral solutions (such as glycine-based leaching or CO₂ + H₂O approaches) can significantly reduce environmental impact and improve the value of recovered materials. As these technologies scale in China, telecom batteries—including LiFePO4 chemistries historically considered less attractive—become more viable sources of secondary raw materials.

Third, digitalization and AI will enable more granular lifecycle management. As more telecom batteries are connected and monitored, operators can use predictive models to optimize replacement timing, triage decisions, and logistics. OEMs like Redway Battery, with MES systems and automated production, are well positioned to feed high‑quality data into these models and incorporate recycled materials into new product lines.

Fourth, second‑life markets will mature. As standardization improves, telecom batteries will progressively become a recognized feedstock for stationary storage markets, from C&I projects to community energy systems. This will create a more robust financial case for structured triage and redeployment programs.

In this context, telecom operators and infrastructure providers that partner early with lifecycle‑oriented OEMs like Redway Battery and invest in data‑driven end‑of‑life programs will be better placed to reduce total cost of ownership, improve network reliability, and meet sustainability targets. Waiting risks locking in fragmented, costly, and non‑compliant practices that will be harder to reverse later.

Are there common questions about telecom lithium battery end-of-life and recycling?

1. What is the typical lifespan of telecom lithium batteries and when should they be considered end‑of‑life?
Telecom lithium batteries, especially LiFePO4 packs, typically offer 8–15 years of service depending on depth of discharge, temperature, and maintenance practices. In practice, end‑of‑life is usually defined by when capacity falls below a set threshold (e.g., 70–80% of nominal) or internal resistance rises to a point where backup performance no longer meets site requirements. For critical infrastructure, operators often replace batteries proactively before they technically fail to avoid outages.

2. Can telecom lithium batteries from China be safely reused in second‑life applications?
Yes, provided that they undergo systematic diagnostics, including capacity testing, internal resistance measurement, BMS data review, and safety checks for physical damage and insulation. Batteries that pass defined thresholds can be repurposed for less demanding applications such as low‑rate energy storage, off‑grid power, or non‑critical backup. OEM support, such as that offered by Redway Battery’s engineering team, can greatly simplify this process by providing design data, test procedures, and suitable second‑life system configurations.

3. How do advanced recycling technologies improve over traditional methods?
Advanced hydrometallurgical and hybrid processes can achieve very high recovery rates for lithium and other metals while operating at lower temperatures and using less aggressive chemicals. Some neutral‑solution approaches leverage amino acids like glycine, and other methods use CO₂ and water to reduce chemical consumption and waste. These techniques reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water and energy usage, and hazardous effluents compared with traditional pyrometallurgy or strong‑acid leaching, making them more suitable for large‑scale deployment in China’s growing battery recycling system.

4. What role does an OEM like Redway Battery play in end-of-life and recycling programs?
Redway Battery supports the full lifecycle by designing telecom LiFePO4 packs with robust BMS and traceability, integrating production with MES, and offering OEM/ODM customization so that batteries can be easily monitored and managed in the field. At end‑of‑life, Redway’s engineering team can help operators interpret battery data, define triage criteria, support second‑life system design, and coordinate with certified recyclers in China. This reduces complexity for operators and aligns battery design with downstream recycling processes.

5. How can telecom operators quantify the benefits of a structured end-of-life and recycling solution?
Operators can track KPIs such as reduced unplanned battery failures, increased network uptime, percentage of batteries collected and recycled through certified channels, recovery rates for key materials, CO₂ emissions avoided compared to virgin material extraction, and financial returns from second‑life deployments or recovered materials. Over time, these metrics can be compared against historical baselines to demonstrate improvements in cost efficiency, risk reduction, and environmental performance, supporting internal business cases and external ESG reporting.

6. Can these practices apply to lithium batteries beyond telecom, such as for forklifts, golf carts, or RVs?
Yes. The same lifecycle principles—design for traceability, centralized asset management, triage for second life, and collaboration with advanced recyclers—can be applied to other LiFePO4 applications. Redway Battery already supplies batteries for forklifts, golf carts, RVs, solar, and energy storage systems, which means cross‑sector programs can share processes, partners, and data models, improving economies of scale and overall recycling efficiency.

Sources

• International Energy Agency – Global supply chains of EV batteries

• Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management – Research on policies of power batteries recycle in China from the perspective of life cycle

• Journal of Environmental Management – The optimization of an EV decommissioned battery recycling network: A third‑party approach

• People’s Daily – China makes more efforts to recycle power batteries

• CleanTechnica – New battery recycling process from China recovers 99.99% of lithium

• IO+ – Battery recycling breakthrough achieves 99.99% lithium recovery

• South China Morning Post – CO2 + H2O = cleaner recycling of dead lithium batteries?

• Wiley – Prospects for managing end‑of‑life lithium‑ion batteries: Present and future

• National and regional EPR and battery recycling policy documents from China’s MIIT and related agencies