Demand for lithium is surging: here’s how to make mining more sustainable
Nature, Published online: 30 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-02195-z Researchers are looking for ways to extract the metal from underground reservoirs that use less water.
Lithium demand is surging as electric vehicles and renewable energy storage become more popular. However, traditional lithium mining has significant environmental impacts, especially in arid regions where fresh water is scarce. Direct lithium extraction, a new method using membranes, solvents, and electrochemical processes, shows promise in reducing water usage and recovering a higher percentage of lithium.
This technique could be applied to recover lithium from industrial waste streams and mining residues. However, the commercial adoption of this technology remains uncertain.
Written by urgent.news from Nature's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
