# Lithium Battery Recycling in Chile | Ecobaterías > Where can you recycle lithium batteries in Chile? Ecobaterías receives them in Santiago, recovers the minerals and issues an EPR valorization certificate. Canonical: https://ecobaterias.org/en/ · Language: en · Alternate (es): https://ecobaterias.org/ · Updated: 2026-09-18 Hydrometallurgical plant in Santiago with an active health permit # Every battery is an urban mine copper · aluminum · lithium · nickel · cobalt · graphite Ecobaterías is the Chilean lithium-battery recycler that closes the loop inside the country: [its own hydrometallurgical plant](https://ecobaterias.org/en/proceso.html) in Santiago and recycled cobalt sulfate tested at [Codelco El Teniente](https://ecobaterias.org/en/experiencia.html). And before recycling, we [test, repair and reuse](https://ecobaterias.org/en/servicios.html) batteries and solar modules. [Get a quote to manage my batteries](https://ecobaterias.org/en/contacto.html?segmento=general) [See our experience](https://ecobaterias.org/en/experiencia.html) [+56 9 4011 8111](tel:+56940118111) · [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/56940118111?text=Hi%2C%20I'd%20like%20a%20quote%20for%20managing%20our%20lithium%20batteries.) · We reply within 48 business hours **22%** lower cost than imported sulfate at the Hydrometallurgy Plant of Codelco El Teniente [(El Rancagüino, 2024-07-15)](https://elrancaguino.cl/2024/07/15/el-teniente-prueba-con-exito-uso-de-sulfato-de-cobalto-reciclado-para-la-obtencion-de-catodos-de-cobre/) **Health permit** from the [Seremi de Salud](https://ecobaterias.org/en/cumplimiento.html) (Chile’s regional health authority) for the Metropolitan Region, covering the hydrometallurgical process **4 routes** repair · reuse · second life · recycle [(how we choose each one)](https://ecobaterias.org/en/servicios.html) *The hydrometallurgical plant in operation* *Cobalt sulfate recovered at the plant* *Dispatch to mining* Validation and legal framework - **Health permit from the Seremi de Salud of the Santiago Metropolitan Region**, for the hydrometallurgical process - **Cobalt sulfate tested at Codelco El Teniente** [read the El Teniente case](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-el-teniente.html) - **Ley REP (Law No. 20,920)** valorization and traceability certificate for your declaration - **Spin-off of SolarPro Chile and EcoProjects** (EcoMinería) Where can you recycle lithium batteries in Chile? At Ecobaterías, in Santiago: we receive lithium-ion batteries at [**22 UF per tonne + VAT (19%)**](https://ecobaterias.org/en/servicios.html#precio-recepcion), issue a valorization and traceability certificate for Chile’s Extended Producer Responsibility law (Ley REP, Law No. 20,920) and, before recycling, we test and reuse whatever still works. UF is Chile’s inflation-indexed unit of account, published daily by the Central Bank. - **1,100 t** — of lithium-ion battery waste estimated for 2026 in Chile - **22%** — lower cost than imported sulfate at the Hydrometallurgy Plant of Codelco El Teniente - **40%** — lower additive consumption than the imported solid product - **≈0%** — of lithium-ion batteries are recycled in Chile today: that is the gap Sources: [regulatory impact assessment of the draft battery decree, Ministry of the Environment (Res. Ex. 821/2026)](https://consultasciudadanas.mma.gob.cl/portal) for the waste and recycling figures · [El Rancagüino, 2024-07-15](https://elrancaguino.cl/2024/07/15/el-teniente-prueba-con-exito-uso-de-sulfato-de-cobalto-reciclado-para-la-obtencion-de-catodos-de-cobre/) for the El Teniente results · 2026-09-18 See it running ## Lithium-ion battery recycling, on video The Ruta Verde (Mega) television report on the plant and, below, the three-minute overview of the process: how we turn end-of-life batteries into minerals for industry. Report by Ruta Verde, Mega · 9 min 31 s · 2024-03-16 · in Spanish. Safe discharge and dismantling · Black mass · Hydrometallurgy · Cobalt and nickel sulfate Technical service ## Before recycling, we measure Testing, repair and reuse of lithium batteries and solar modules: every unit is measured and follows the highest-value route. Recycling is the last step, not the first. The technical service runs as a 2026–2027 pilot program. [Lithium battery testing Electric cars and buses, BESS and micromobility: BMS readout, insulation, internal resistance, capacity and EIS. State-of-health (SOH) certificate. See lithium battery testing](https://ecobaterias.org/en/diagnostico-baterias-litio.html) [Repair and second life Module, BMS and contactor replacement; graded modules for stationary storage, with serial-number traceability. See the full technical service](https://ecobaterias.org/en/servicios.html) [Used solar modules Inspection, insulation, electroluminescence and I-V curve under a solar simulator. Refurbished modules with measured power; junction-box and connector repair. See the solar module line](https://ecobaterias.org/en/reutilizacion-paneles-solares.html) [Recycling at our own plant Whatever is not reused is recycled in Chile: cells to hydrometallurgy (cobalt and nickel sulfate, copper, aluminum) and modules to a licensed manager. EPR certificate. See the recycling process](https://ecobaterias.org/en/proceso.html) [All services](https://ecobaterias.org/en/servicios.html) [Request an assessment](https://ecobaterias.org/en/contacto.html?segmento=servicio-tecnico) What we accept ## Four families of lithium-ion battery We classify by application and chemistry, not by weight. Weight only decides which decree under Law No. 20,920 applies to you. ### Consumer electronics Phones, laptops, tablets and backup batteries. They arrive through a drop-off point or a scheduled collection. ### Power tools and micromobility Cordless tool packs, e-bikes and scooters, with controlled dismantling and discharge. ### Electromobility Cars, buses and machinery. Tested module by module before choosing refurbishment, second life or recycling. ### BESS and large format Stationary storage modules and racks taken out of service, with an on-site de-energizing protocol. Regulatory note: batteries under 5 kg are covered as portable batteries by Supreme Decree (DS) 22/2025; those of 5 kg or more by the battery decree still being drafted. Lead-acid batteries fall under that decree regardless of weight and are not processed at our plant. Ecobaterías video · 3 min 17 s. Source: [draft battery decree, Ministry of the Environment (Res. Ex. 821/2026), Art. 2 No. 1](https://consultasciudadanas.mma.gob.cl/portal) · 2026-09-18 Solutions ## A service for each side of the chain We close the loop: we take the waste where it is generated and return minerals where they are needed. [Producers and importers End-of-life batteries managed as hazardous waste, with traceability and the documentation your Law No. 20,920 declaration needs. See the EPR targets](https://ecobaterias.org/en/mercado.html) [Recovered minerals Mining and industry Local supply of cobalt sulfate, nickel and copper, with results measured on site. See the El Teniente case](https://ecobaterias.org/en/experiencia.html) [Infrastructure Strategic infrastructure Chile has no large-scale lithium battery recycling plants: we are the country’s first operator to close the loop. See the business in numbers](https://ecobaterias.org/en/inversionistas.html) Proven experience > The liquid performed better, the effect is much faster and it is cheaper. > > — *Patricio Navarro, shift supervisor at the Hydrometallurgy Plant of Codelco El Teniente* Our recycled cobalt sulfate was successfully tested at the Hydrometallurgy Plant of Codelco El Teniente (trials from November 2023; results published in July 2024): 22% lower cost, 40% lower consumption and a single daily addition instead of three. Source: [El Rancagüino, “El Teniente successfully tests recycled cobalt sulfate”](https://elrancaguino.cl/2024/07/15/el-teniente-prueba-con-exito-uso-de-sulfato-de-cobalto-reciclado-para-la-obtencion-de-catodos-de-cobre/) · 2024-07-15. The article does not name the supplier; the supporting record is in [compliance and permits](https://ecobaterias.org/en/cumplimiento.html). [Read the full case](https://ecobaterias.org/en/experiencia.html) [Read the El Teniente article](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-el-teniente.html) *The hydrometallurgy that turns black mass into cobalt sulfate.* Explore the platform ## Two interactive journeys [The process, step by step A plant map and a walkthrough of the six stages: from end-of-life battery to the cobalt sulfate that mining buys, with real photos of the operation. Walk through the recycling process](https://ecobaterias.org/en/proceso.html) [The business, in numbers A model with two revenue streams, a productivity simulator by tonnes processed and five-year projections in a panel built for investors. Open the investor panel](https://ecobaterias.org/en/inversionistas.html) Regulatory advantage ## We export products, not waste Completing valorization inside Chile keeps the minerals outside the Basel Convention’s prior-consent procedure: shipments in weeks rather than months, with an estimated saving per tonne exported. [See the Basel advantage with the calculator](https://ecobaterias.org/en/ventaja-basilea.html) Frequently asked questions ## Where to recycle lithium batteries in Chile? Straight answers to what companies and people ask us most. ### Where can I recycle lithium batteries in Chile? At Ecobaterías, in Santiago: we receive lithium-ion batteries from phones, laptops, power tools, electric vehicles and BESS systems at the plant, or we arrange collection with licensed hazardous-waste transport. You can [see where to recycle lithium batteries in Chile at https://ecobaterias.org/en/where-to-recycle-lithium-batteries-chile.html](https://ecobaterias.org/en/where-to-recycle-lithium-batteries-chile.html) or message us on WhatsApp at [+56 9 4011 8111](tel:+56940118111). ### What types of batteries do you accept? Every lithium-ion chemistry: consumer electronics and micromobility (phones, laptops, power tools, e-bikes and scooters), electromobility (cars, buses and machinery) and stationary storage (BESS modules and racks). Regulatory note: batteries under 5 kg are covered as portable batteries by Supreme Decree (DS) 22/2025, and those of 5 kg or more by the battery decree still being drafted; lead-acid batteries fall under that decree regardless of weight. ### Do you accept alkaline batteries? No. Our plant is built for lithium-ion chemistry. Alkaline and zinc-carbon cells go to a licensed manager for that stream, which is covered by Supreme Decree (DS) 22/2025 together with electrical and electronic equipment. ### Do you accept lead-acid car batteries? We do not process them at the plant: lead-acid already has its own recycling chain in Chile, recovering close to 90% of the material. If you need to manage that stream we can point you to a licensed manager; the draft battery decree covers lead-acid regardless of weight. ### What happens to my batteries after I hand them over? They are discharged, dismantled and milled into [black mass](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-black-mass.html), which we process with our own hydrometallurgy into cobalt and nickel sulfate, copper and aluminum. That recycled cobalt sulfate was successfully tested at the Hydrometallurgy Plant of Codelco El Teniente (trials from November 2023; results published in July 2024). See the case at [https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-el-teniente.html](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-el-teniente.html). ### I am a producer or importer — how do I comply with the EPR law? Chile’s Extended Producer Responsibility law (Ley REP, Law No. 20,920) is in force. Portable batteries, electrical and electronic equipment and photovoltaic modules are covered by Supreme Decree (DS) 22/2025, published on 2026-05-07, with targets enforceable from May 2028. Batteries of 5 kg or more and all lead-acid batteries will fall under a separate decree still being drafted: the Ministry of the Environment has until 2027-01-29. We manage your batteries as hazardous waste with full traceability and a valorization certificate backing your declaration. See the targets at [https://ecobaterias.org/en/mercado.html](https://ecobaterias.org/en/mercado.html). ### How should batteries be prepared and transported safely? Covered storage, terminals taped, spill-proof containers and licensed hazardous-waste transport, which we can also arrange. Full guide at [https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-preparar-baterias.html](https://ecobaterias.org/en/articulo-preparar-baterias.html). ### Can I track the history and impact of what I have recycled? Yes. The [client portal](https://ecobaterias.org/en/login.html?perfil=cliente) shows your delivery history, the recovered minerals, your estimated environmental impact and your downloadable certificates. ### Do you repair or reuse batteries and panels before recycling them? Yes. Our technical service tests lithium batteries (cars, buses, BESS, micromobility) and solar modules with objective measurements and decides the route: direct reuse, refurbishment, second life or recycling. We issue a state-of-health (SOH) certificate for batteries and a measured-power label for modules. See the technical service at [https://ecobaterias.org/en/servicios.html](https://ecobaterias.org/en/servicios.html). ### What should I do with used or broken solar panels? Do not simply stockpile them: they are handled as hazardous waste until declassified. We test every module (insulation, electroluminescence, I-V curve), reuse the suitable ones with measured power and recycle the rest with an EPR certificate under Supreme Decree (DS) 22/2025. See the module line at [https://ecobaterias.org/en/reutilizacion-paneles-solares.html](https://ecobaterias.org/en/reutilizacion-paneles-solares.html). ## Turn an environmental liability into value Producer under the EPR law, waste generator, mineral buyer or investor? Tell us what you have and we will reply within 48 business hours. - Process authorized by the Seremi de Salud RM (regional health authority) - Cobalt sulfate tested at Codelco El Teniente: 22% lower cost - Reply within 48 business hours - Valorization certificate for your EPR declaration [Get a quote to manage my batteries](https://ecobaterias.org/en/contacto.html?segmento=general) [contacto@ecobaterias.org](mailto:contacto@ecobaterias.org) Updated on 2026-09-18 · Reviewed by the Ecobaterías technical team. --- contacto@ecobaterias.org · WhatsApp +56 9 4011 8111 · Santiago, Chile. Ecobaterías recycles lithium batteries in Chile and returns the recovered minerals to mining.