In an effort to build a circular battery economy, a company based in Australia is using manganese and zinc recovered from alkaline batteries as a supplement for fertilizer.

Envirostream Australia, Lithium Australia’s recycling division, extracted manganese and zinc — the primary chemical components in alkaline batteries — to enhance the properties of fertilizer.

During testing of the process, researchers treated a container garden of wheat plants with the enhanced fertilizer to positive results.

By repurposing the alkaline batteries, the research team believes the method would redirect the batteries from landfills where they leak toxins into the soil.