# Blog: Lithium Battery Recycling in Chile | EcoBaterías

> EcoBaterías blog: guides on lithium battery recycling, Chile’s EPR law, used solar panels, black mass and the Codelco El Teniente case, with sources.

Canonical: https://ecobaterias.org/en/blog.html · Language: en · Alternate (es): https://ecobaterias.org/blog.html · Updated: 2026-10-09

# The EcoBaterías blog

Lithium battery recycling, diagnostics and repair, solar panel reuse, Chile’s EPR law and urban mining: what we learned from the hydrometallurgical process that EcoMinería (Ecoprojects), a founding partner of EcoBaterías, ran at its Lampa plant, told plainly and with the sources in view.

**These are our guides on lithium battery and solar panel recycling in Chile.** They cover what Chile’s Extended Producer Responsibility law (Ley REP, Law No. 20,920) requires, how a lithium pack is tested and repaired, what to do with a used solar module, what black mass is, and how a recycled cobalt sulfate was successfully tested in copper cathode production at Codelco El Teniente (El Rancagüino, July 15, 2024). The article does not name the supplier.

If you are looking for a service rather than a guide, they are all under [services for lithium batteries and solar panels](https://ecobaterias.org/en/servicios.html). For batteries: [testing with an SOH certificate](https://ecobaterias.org/en/diagnostico-baterias-litio.html), [repair](https://ecobaterias.org/en/lithium-battery-repair.html), [pack refurbishment](https://ecobaterias.org/en/lithium-battery-refurbishment.html), [second life](https://ecobaterias.org/en/second-life-batteries.html) and [recycling for companies](https://ecobaterias.org/en/lithium-battery-recycling-service.html). For panels: [testing](https://ecobaterias.org/en/solar-panel-testing.html), [repair](https://ecobaterias.org/en/solar-panel-repair.html), [refurbished panels](https://ecobaterias.org/en/refurbished-solar-panels.html) and [recycling](https://ecobaterias.org/en/solar-panel-recycling-chile.html). We coordinate [pickup with licensed hazardous-waste carriers](https://ecobaterias.org/en/battery-solar-panel-collection-transport.html) anywhere in Chile. Short answers are in the [FAQ](https://ecobaterias.org/en/faq.html) and technical terms in the [glossary](https://ecobaterias.org/en/glossary.html).

- **Articles:** 7 practical guides and case studies, each with its publication and update date
- **Reference guides:** 10 pages on regulation, waste managers, recycling, second life and solar panels
- **Topics:** Chile’s EPR law, lithium battery recycling and repair, solar panels, black mass and urban mining
- **Sources:** Every article lists its sources at the end, with links

Which guide to read for your question

| Your question | Guide |
|---|---|
| What does Chile’s EPR law require today if I hold end-of-life batteries? | [Chile’s EPR law and batteries](https://ecobaterias.org/en/chile-epr-law-batteries.html) |
| How do I prepare a battery batch for pickup? | [How to prepare your end-of-life batteries](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-preparar-baterias.html) |
| How do I know whether the company receiving my batteries is authorized? | [Authorized lithium battery waste manager](https://ecobaterias.org/en/authorised-battery-waste-manager-chile.html) |
| Can an electric car battery be repaired? | [Repairing an electric car battery in Chile](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-reparar-bateria-auto-electrico.html) |
| What should I do with used or broken solar panels? | [Used or broken solar panels](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-paneles-solares-usados.html) |
| What is black mass and what does it contain? | [Black mass: what it is and what it contains](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-black-mass.html) |

Updated October 9, 2026

[Practical guideSeptember 15, 2026 Can an electric car battery be repaired in Chile? What fails in an electric car or bus battery, how much can be repaired, what state of health (SOH) means and where to test lithium packs in Chile. Read article](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-reparar-bateria-auto-electrico.html) [Practical guideSeptember 15, 2026 What to do with used or broken solar panels in Chile? What Supreme Decree (DS) 22/2025 and Supreme Decree (DS) 148 require, how much power a used module keeps, how modules are tested and where to reuse or recycle them. Read article](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-paneles-solares-usados.html) [RegulationAugust 12, 2026 Chile’s EPR law and batteries: the guide every producer should read Rising collection targets, obligations and how to prepare in time. The essentials of Law 20,920 applied to batteries, without legal jargon. Read article](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-ley-rep.html) [ProcessJuly 29, 2026 What is black mass and why does everyone want it? The black powder that concentrates the lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese of a battery, and what drives its value. Read article](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-black-mass.html) [Published evidenceJuly 15, 2026 The El Teniente case: when recycling entered the mine A recycled cobalt sulfate was successfully tested in copper cathode production at Codelco: 22% lower cost and 40% lower consumption, according to El Rancagüino. The article does not name the supplier. Read article](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-el-teniente.html) [Urban miningJune 30, 2026 Urban mining: the ore deposit in your pocket Why an end-of-life battery is ore that is already concentrated, how much material Chile holds and what is reused before it is recycled. Read article](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-mineria-urbana.html) [Practical guideJune 18, 2026 How to prepare your end-of-life batteries for recycling Safe storage, packaging, labelling and transport: the practical guide for companies that want to manage their waste well and avoid fires. Read article](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-preparar-baterias.html) [Got a topic? What would you like us to write about? If there is a topic on recycling, EPR, batteries or solar modules you care about, tell us and we will add it to the blog. Suggest a topic](https://ecobaterias.org/en/contacto.html?segmento=general)

Reference guides

## The guides we published in 2026

Long, dated pages with sources cited, written to settle one concrete decision: meeting the rules, choosing a waste manager or deciding what to do with a batch.

### [Chile’s EPR law and batteries: what applies today and what is coming](https://ecobaterias.org/en/chile-epr-law-batteries.html)

What Law 20,920 requires today, what the draft battery decree proposes and the deadline the Ministry of the Environment is working to.

### [DS 22/2025: what it requires from solar plant owners](https://ecobaterias.org/en/ds-22-2025-solar-panels-epr.html)

Collection targets from 10% to 50%, who has to report and when the obligations of the published decree become enforceable.

### [Authorized lithium battery waste manager: what to demand before you sign](https://ecobaterias.org/en/authorised-battery-waste-manager-chile.html)

Health permit, traceability in SIDREP (Chile’s national hazardous-waste declaration and tracking system) and a valorization certificate per batch: the checklist before handing over hazardous waste.

### [Where to recycle lithium batteries in Chile](https://ecobaterias.org/en/where-to-recycle-lithium-batteries-chile.html)

Which batteries we handle, where to drop them off for testing in Santiago or Viña del Mar, how to request collection in the regions and what to do with alkaline and lead-acid cells.

### [Second life for lithium batteries](https://ecobaterias.org/en/second-life-batteries.html)

When a module at 65–80% state of health is fit for stationary storage, and how it is tested before being reused.

### [End-of-life BESS systems](https://ecobaterias.org/en/bess-end-of-life.html)

What to do with a decommissioned storage system: testing at our facilities or coordinated on site, case by case, rack-by-rack grading and recycling of whatever fails the thresholds.

### [Electric bus batteries: testing, refurbishment and end of life](https://ecobaterias.org/en/electric-bus-batteries.html)

What to do with a bus battery when the leasing contract ends: state-of-health certificate, refurbishment, second life and recycling.

### [Solar panel recycling in Chile](https://ecobaterias.org/en/solar-panel-recycling-chile.html)

Coordinated collection, reuse testing first and managed recycling of photovoltaic modules, with a valorization certificate from the authorized receiving facility for Supreme Decree (DS) 22/2025.

### [Frequently asked questions: lithium batteries and solar panels](https://ecobaterias.org/en/faq.html)

Short answers on price, pickup, SIDREP, Chile’s EPR law, repair and reuse, each linked to the page that covers the topic in depth.

### [Technical glossary of lithium batteries and solar panels](https://ecobaterias.org/en/glossary.html)

SOH, BMS, LFP, black mass, electroluminescence, I-V curve, RESPEL, SIDREP and valorization, explained in plain terms.

## Is your case not covered here?

Tell us which batteries or modules you need to manage and we will reply with the concrete route: repair, reuse, second life or recycling.

- Reply within 48 business hours
- Pickup coordinated with licensed hazardous-waste carriers across Chile
- Technical report for every batch
- In-house testing lab for batteries and panels

[Get a quote for my batteries](https://ecobaterias.org/en/contacto.html?segmento=general) [+56 9 8761 6071](tel:+56987616071)

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contacto@ecobaterias.org · WhatsApp +56 9 8761 6071 · Santiago and Viña del Mar, Chile.
EcoBaterías is a Chilean company that recycles, repairs and reuses lithium batteries and solar panels.