<p>Silicon-based nanomaterials hold great potential as new-generation anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). While their industrial deployment is often inhibited by the high cost of nano-sized silicon. In this study, cost-effective silicon nanoparticles (Si NPs) were obtained through pretreatment of the kerf loss Si (KL Si) waste originating in photovoltaic industry. These Si NPs, coated with dopamine hydrochloride and doped with silver, were combined with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), which were coated with an N-doped carbon (CN) to effectively mitigate the dramatic variation in volume of Si particles through the reaction process. The MWCNT network connected with silver and carbon layer substantially ameliorates the electrode’s conductivity. The MWCNT-Si@Ag@CN composite material for lithium-ion battery (LIB) anodes was synthesized utilizing this unique structural design. The composite retained 1077.7 mAh g⁻¹ following 100 cycles under 0.1 A g⁻¹ and 580.0 mAh g⁻¹ following 100 cycles under 0.5 A g⁻¹, also demonstrated promoted rate performance across 0.1 to 1 A g⁻¹. The presented route for MWCNT-Si@Ag@CN anode with promoted lithium storage performance shows huge potential for industry application in next-generation LIBs.</p>