In this paper we have addressed some of the challenges associated with recycling blended cathode materials. Blended/mixed phase cathode materials require efficient processes to separate and regenerate individual phases. In addition, there are the added challenges when recycling real life battery materials such the removal of the additives/binders e.g. PVDF. Considering these challenges, we have outlined a phase-selective recycling approach to recycle blended LMO:LO cathode material used in early electric vehicles. The combined approach to deal with blended electrodes has several advantages: it avoids the use of inorganic acids and complete dissolution of all components into a single solution, which then requires lengthy hydrometallurgical separation processes for the complex resultant mixture. Instead, separated LMO and LO waste streams are produced, which allow for less complex regeneration/remanufacturing processes, therefore adding value to the recovered metals by simplifying the process. In addition to the recovery and upcycling of the LMO phase to NMC phases, this route also allows for the direct regeneration of the remaining LO in the cathode material via a hydrothermal-hydroxide treatment. An important factor is that the LO may not necessarily possess the same elemental composition as the original electrode due to degradation reactions; this observation is generally overlooked in recycling literature which commonly focus on model systems where the literature assumes the layered phase does not transform during treatment. This will have implications when an electrode is being considered for direct recycling. This study has therefore characterised the material throughout the various treatment processes with a view to optimise treatment conditions. Another important feature of the hydrothermal-hydroxide treatment is the decomposition of the PVDF binder, preventing fluorine contamination in the resultant product. Previous studies have often assumed PVDF decomposition during regeneration, however, its potential to act as a low temperature fluorination agent must be factored in when developing recycling methodologies. A further benefit of the hydrothermal-hydroxide route is that the by-product, Na2CO3, formed during decomposition can potentially be used as a precipitation agent to retrieve Li from extracted solutions providing an efficient route for the recovery of an increasingly valuable component. To summarise, these proof of concept experiments illustrate the potential to recycle efficiently a large proportion of currently used (LMO/blended) and future cathode (high Ni NMC phases) materials by exploiting the relative solubilities of the transition metals in aqueous media.