Abstract: Suggested is a method for recovering metals from batteries comprising or consisting of the following steps: (a) providing black mass prepared from spent batteries; (b) providing a culture of microorganisms obtained by using suitable carbon sources to support growth and the production of organic acids, complexing agents or reducing agents; (c) bringing said black mass into contact with said culture of microorganisms or the cell-free supernatant of said culture of microorganisms; (d) depleting said black mass from metals contained therein by bioleaching; (c) separating the depleted black mass from the liquid containing the dissolved metals to obtain a pregnant leach solution; (f) recovering the extracted metals from said pregnant leach solution