Abstract Co-precipitation of NCM811 precursors and cathodes for lithium-ion batteries was carried out using recycled and purified manganese solution. In this paper, the aim is to study the role of the impurities in the co-precipitation step of NMC811 and further in the battery cell performance. Based on the results, cationic impurities (Ca, Zn, Mg, and Fe) are co-precipitated in the NMC811 precursors, as expected based on the thermodynamic considerations. The presence of these impurities was confirmed by several characterizations. Impurities did not affect the particle morphology or tap density of NMC811. Impurities had surprisingly minor effect on the cell performance. During the cycling, these cells provided good cyclability and high-capacity retention after 1100 cycles compared to reference samples.