What’s more, the researchers say the method is much more affordable than other battery-based lithium-harvesting techniques, costing about US$12.70 per kilogram of lithium recovered.

That’s in comparison to acid leaching, which runs about $81-462 per kilogram and produces chemical waste, and high-heat smelting, which costs $36-126 per kilogram and is more inefficient at separating out lithium from other elements. Based on these findings, the team says its method could be the first commercially viable way to recapture lithium from dead batteries.

Indeed, according to Daily Metal Prices, lithium costs $13.17 per kilo on the open market as of the time of writing. So this method actually comes out cheaper than just buying the stuff.