@MatthewToad42@climatejustice.social @Snoro
Yes.
Also mining fossil fuels is unidirectional: dig —> burn —> pollution/waste/CO2
Minerals can, in principle, be infinitely reused: dig —> use —> reuse —> reuse

Of course, lots of work is still needed to do this efficiently, but elements stay elements. If they can be extracted from rocks and dirt, they can be extracted from a battery.