About the Project
**”Li-Monti Maps is the ‘Google Maps’ of battery recycling — but instead of restaurants and shops, we map verified stakeholders across the lithium-ion battery value chain.”**
Leoni Hartung and Manolie Bockhöfer developed Li-Monti Maps during their 6-month internship with Value Chain Hackers as part of their Global Project and Change Management program at Windesheim Zwolle. Recognizing that the lithium-ion battery recycling ecosystem suffers from fragmentation and lack of transparency, they created a digital platform concept that addresses three critical challenges: low collection rates, compliance struggles, and stakeholder invisibility.
The platform serves two primary user groups: **citizens** who need to find safe, certified battery drop-off locations, and **SMEs** seeking verified, ESG-compliant partners for collaboration in the recycling ecosystem. By creating a searchable digital map with verified listings, user ratings, and compliance support, Li-Monti Maps aims to build a transparent, trusted, and collaborative ecosystem that powers the circular battery economy.
The Challenge
Problem Statement
If you had a used lithium-ion battery at home right now, would you know where to safely and responsibly dispose of it? Most people don’t — and the same is true for many businesses navigating the battery recycling ecosystem.
**The Pain Points:**
**Fragmentation**
**Low Collection Rates**
**Compliance Struggles**
**Context:**
Project Goals & Objectives
Primary Goal
Create a reliable and transparent digital platform that maps stakeholders across the lithium-ion battery value chain, enabling citizens to find disposal locations and businesses to connect with verified partners.
Specific Objectives
1. **Increase Visibility:** Map and verify all stakeholders in the battery recycling ecosystem
2. **Enable Compliance:** Provide tools and support for businesses to meet ESG and regulatory standards
3. **Build Trust:** Create a rating system and verification process for quality assurance
4. **Support Regulation:** Give governments real-time data for compliance monitoring
5. **Foster Collaboration:** Enable peer-to-peer learning and partnership opportunities
Research & Methodology
Research Approach
Leoni and Manolie took a **systems analysis approach**, treating the sector’s fragmentation as a systems-integration challenge. They analyzed the lithium-ion battery value chain from extraction through recycling, identifying key stakeholders, pain points, and regulatory requirements.
**Methods Used:**
Stakeholders Engaged
The team identified and analyzed multiple stakeholder groups:
Key Research Findings
From academic research and stakeholder interviews, they discovered:
**Visibility is Foundation**
> “Visibility is the foundation of a functioning circular battery economy” — Academic consensus across multiple studies
**Integration Barriers** (Fraunhofer ISI, 2023)
Innovative startups and new industry entrants struggle with integration in Li-Ion value chains due to lack of visibility and access to:
**Impact Potential**
The Solution
Overview
Li-Monti Maps is a digital mapping and verification platform with three core components:
1. **Verified Stakeholder Map** – Searchable database of compliant recycling actors
2. **Compliance Support System** – Tools and partnerships to help businesses meet standards
3. **Community Hub** – Peer learning, news, and collaboration space
Key Features
#### 1. Verified Listings Only
Companies must meet regulatory and ESG criteria to appear on the platform. Verification includes:
**Dual Compliance Paths:**
#### 2. Smart Matchmaking
Like Google Maps, but for battery recycling partnerships:
#### 3. Compliance Support
Businesses not yet compliant can:
#### 4. Community Features
How It Works
**For Citizens:**
1. Open Li-Monti Maps
2. Search for “battery drop-off near me”
3. See certified locations with ratings and reviews
4. Safely dispose of batteries at verified facility
**For Businesses:**
1. Complete compliance verification or get support
2. Join platform with membership fee
3. Create profile with services offered
4. Connect with partners via matchmaking algorithm
5. Build reputation through ratings and successful collaborations
Platform Architecture
**Frontend:**
**Backend:**
**Verification Layer:**
Key Findings & Insights
Major Discoveries
**1. Compliance is a Barrier, Not Just a Requirement**
Many SMEs want to comply but lack knowledge, resources, or time. By providing compliance as a service, Li-Monti Maps turns a barrier into an opportunity.
**2. Governments Need Better Tools**
> “Governments are increasingly expected to enforce sustainability standards — but they lack the tools to track and trace compliance effectively.”
Sources: European Commission 2023, World Economic Forum 2022, Rahnama et al. 2023, OECD 2020
**3. Visibility Drives Action**
When stakeholders can see each other, collaboration increases. The platform creates network effects where more visibility leads to more connections, which leads to more visibility.
**4. Trust is Currency**
In a fragmented market, verified status and positive ratings become competitive advantages. Businesses willing to meet high standards gain market access.
Insights for Stakeholders
**For SMEs:**
**For Governments:**
**For Citizens:**
Business Model
Revenue Streams
1. **Membership Fees**
2. **Compliance Support Packages**
3. **Institutional Licenses**
Value Proposition
**For Businesses:**
**For Public Sector:**
Strategic Alignment & Timing
Li-Monti Maps is aligned with major policy and technology trends:
**Policy Alignment:**
**Technology Readiness:**
The necessary technologies already exist:
**Market Timing:**
> “We’re not ahead of the curve — we’re exactly on it.”
With battery waste projected to grow 500% by 2030 and new regulations coming into force, the need for ecosystem visibility is immediate.
Team Reflection
What We Learned
**Systems Thinking in Practice:**
Approaching battery recycling as a systems integration challenge revealed that the problem isn’t lack of technology or regulation — it’s lack of connection and visibility between actors who could solve it together.
**Lean Startup Approach:**
Rather than building everything at once, focusing on one high-impact use case (e.g., collection rate optimization) allows for MVP development and iterative improvement based on user feedback.
**Importance of Trust Infrastructure:**
In fragmented markets, trust mechanisms (verification, ratings, compliance tracking) are as important as the core technology.
Challenges & Solutions
**Challenge 1: Defining Compliance Standards**
Different countries and regions have varying requirements.
**Solution:** Start with EU standards as baseline, create modular compliance framework that can adapt to regional variations.
**Challenge 2: Getting First Movers**
Platform requires critical mass to be valuable.
**Solution:** Target one geographic region and one stakeholder type first (e.g., recyclers in Netherlands), prove value, then expand.
**Challenge 3: Data Validation**
Ensuring verification information is accurate and up-to-date.
**Solution:** Combination of automated checks (API integration with registries), third-party certifications, and periodic audits.
Recommendations & Next Steps
For Implementation Partners
**Phase 1: MVP Development (Months 1-6)**
**Phase 2: SME Matchmaking (Months 6-12)**
**Phase 3: Institutional Integration (Year 2)**
For Future Students
**Continue the Research:**
1. Conduct user testing with citizens and SMEs
2. Develop detailed compliance framework per country
3. Prototype matchmaking algorithm
4. Analyze competitive landscape (existing platforms, potential partners)
**Technical Development:**
1. Create wireframes and user flows
2. Research technology stack options
3. Develop data privacy and security protocols
4. Design API structure for institutional integration
For VCH
**Strategic Opportunities:**
1. **Pilot Project:** Partner with Dutch government or industry association for proof-of-concept
2. **Funding:** Apply for EU circular economy grants or innovation funding
3. **Partnerships:** Connect with existing battery manufacturers, recyclers, or tech platforms
4. **Research:** Continue academic research on platform economics and network effects in circular value chains
Impact & Vision
Potential Impact
**Environmental:**
**Economic:**
**Social:**
Vision Statement
> “Li-Monti Maps creates more than just a map — it builds a transparent, trusted, and collaborative ecosystem that powers the circular battery economy of tomorrow.”
The platform transforms fragmentation into connection, compliance barriers into opportunities, and isolated actors into a thriving community working together toward a sustainable energy future.
Acknowledgments
Leoni and Manolie would like to thank:
Related Projects
Other VCH circular economy initiatives:
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**References:**