Que: Can you share how Attero Recycling is addressing the growing e-waste problem and what steps the company is taking to tackle it?

Ans: India is the third-largest producer of e-waste globally, generating over 3.2 million metric tonnes annually, yet only 40 percent of this waste is recycled through formal channels. The informal sector processes the remaining 60 percent, leading to severe environmental hazards, health risks, and the loss of valuable raw materials. Attero addresses this growing challenge through a multi-pronged approach that includes raising public awareness, expanding formal recycling infrastructure, and ensuring compliance with Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies to strengthen structured recycling channels. With 45+ patents granted and another 200 applied for, Attero stands out with its e-waste recycling solutions.

To bridge the gap in household electronics disposal, Attero launched Selsmart, a direct-to-consumer platform that enables individuals to sell old electronics for responsible recycling. Selsmart provides a seamless, transparent, and user-friendly way for consumers to participate in the formal recycling ecosystem, ensuring that e-waste is safely processed. Over the next three years, Attero will process 140,000 metric tonnes of e-waste through Selsmart, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and circular economy principles.

Attero is also driving innovation in the metal scrap industry by launching MetalMandi, an AI-powered digital platform designed to bring organisation, efficiency, and transparency to the fragmented metal scrap sector. MetalMandi provides real-time pricing, secure payments, and robust logistics solutions, making scrap trading more structured and accessible for businesses and dealers. The platform aims to handle 365,000 metric tonnes of scrap annually by May 2025, further strengthening India’s recycling ecosystem.

Combining consumer-friendly solutions like Selsmart with advanced B2B platforms like MetalMandi, Attero is creating a comprehensive and sustainable waste management system. The technology-driven approach ensures that valuable materials are recovered, reintroduced into the supply chain, and utilised in manufacturing, reducing reliance on virgin resources and minimising environmental impact.

Que: Could you explain what lithium battery recycling entails for Attero and could you kindly brief us about your operations?

Ans: Lithium-ion battery recycling has become a critical need for a sustainable future with the rising adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and electronic devices. Attero is India’s leading lithium-ion battery recycler and the only company in the world that extracts manganese and graphite from lithium-ion batteries, alongside 22+ other critical metals such as cobalt, nickel, lithium, copper, and silver.

Attero’s proprietary technology ensures an industry-leading 98 percent extraction efficiency with 99 percent + purity in recovered materials, making them ideal for reuse in new batteries and electronic devices. The company can recycle all types of lithium-ion batteries, including those found in electric buses, EVs like Tata Nexon and Tesla, as well as mobile phones, laptops, and hybrid vehicles from Maruti Suzuki and Toyota.

Attero’s nationwide collection network spans 1,400+ PIN codes, ensuring that end-of-life batteries are efficiently collected, processed, and reintegrated into the supply chain. By integrating state-of-the-art recycling technology with a scalable infrastructure, Attero is closing the loop in India’s battery recycling ecosystem while significantly reducing the environmental footprint of e-waste.

Que: In what ways is Attero leading the charge in sustainable lithium-ion battery recycling?

Ans: Attero is setting global benchmarks in sustainable lithium-ion battery recycling by achieving 98 percent metal recovery rates, significantly higher than the global industry average of less than 75 percent. Unlike other recyclers, Attero operates with the lowest capex and opex in the world — with capital expenditure per tonne being just USD 3,250, compared to the global average of USD 5,500 to USD 10,000 per tonne. This cost efficiency and superior recovery rates make Attero’s recycling process both economically and environmentally sustainable.

Attero is India’s only facility capable of processing all types of lithium-ion batteries, extracting battery-grade cobalt sheets (99.5 percent purity), lithium carbonate powder (99.7 percent purity), pure graphite, manganese dioxide, nickel sheets, copper, and aluminum. This enables Attero to supply high-purity recovered materials directly back into the manufacturing ecosystem, ensuring a closed-loop, circular economy.

As a pioneer in sustainable e-waste and battery recycling, Attero continues to invest in cutting-edge technologies to meet the growing demand for environmentally responsible solutions in the battery recycling space.

Que: Attero recently partnered with the Government of India for the Green National Games 2025. How was that experience, and what impact do you hope it will have in the long run?

Ans: Attero’s partnership with the Government of India for the 38th National Games 2025 was a significant step toward integrating sustainability into major sporting events. As part of this collaboration, 30 percent of the medals awarded at the National Games were crafted from recycled metals sourced from automotive and e-waste, showcasing how recycling was leveraged to promote environmentally responsible practices. This initiative reflected India's commitment to sustainability and highlighted the importance of recycling valuable materials instead of discarding them in landfills.

By using recycled metals for medals, the National Games not only served as a platform for athletic excellence but also set a new precedent for future sporting events to adopt eco-friendly, circular, economy-driven approaches. Attero saw this as a transformational moment, reinforcing the role of recycling in reducing electronic waste and ensuring that sustainability was woven into India’s industrial and sporting ecosystem.

Que: What are Attero’s expansion plans, and are there any new partnerships in the pipeline?

Ans: Attero is rapidly expanding, significantly scaling its e-waste and lithium-ion battery recycling capabilities. The company has an annual capacity to recycle 144,000 tonnes of e-waste and 15,000 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries, but this is set to increase dramatically in the coming years.

Over the next five years, Attero plans to invest USD 1 billion to expand its processing capacity to 415,000 tonnes of e-waste and 50,000 tonnes of lithium batteries per year. This aggressive expansion aligns with India’s growing demand for sustainable e-waste management and supports the nation’s push for a circular economy. Additionally, Attero aims to cross USD 2 billion in revenue by 2027, reinforcing its market leadership in the global recycling sector.

As we continue to scale operations and forge new partnerships, the organisation is focused on driving sustainability at scale and reshaping the future of e-waste and battery recycling in India and beyond.