Dive Brief:
- American Battery Technology Company is partnering with Call2Recycle, a consumer battery stewardship program, on a lithium-ion battery recycling program in the U.S.
- Under the new partnership, some of the lithium-ion batteries Call2Recycle collects through its consumer and business drop-off network will be transported to ABTC’s recycling facilities. ABTC will process the batteries to recover critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese, according to a news release.
- The partnership aims to help ABTC to expand the scope of its operations, said CEO Ryan Melsert in a statement. The battery recycler had previously focused on business-to-business collections, but the addition of Call2Recycle’s collection infrastructure allows the company to take in batteries from direct-to-consumer sources.
Dive Insight:
ABTC has spent the last few years building up its large-scale lithium-ion battery recycling infrastructure, aiming to position itself as a key player in the circular economy for critical materials. The company’s interest in collecting batteries from more diversified sources comes as it ramps up production at its recycling facility in McCarran, Nevada. That facility mainly processes “large-scale” batteries from automotive OEMs.
That facility first opened in 2023 with grant support from the U.S. Department of Energy. In April, the company announced its facility transitioned from a commissioning phase to “24/7” operations and was ramping up production of recycled battery materials.
In the last few years, the federal government has signaled its interest in building up domestic supply chains for such critical materials, mostly in an effort to reduce reliance on overseas sources and strengthen manufacturing for energy infrastructure.
But battery recyclers have also faced uncertainty in recent months due to factors such as tariffs and the Trump administration’s decision earlier this spring to pause some grant funding for battery recycling projects. At the same time, the Trump administration has said it wants to increase production of lithium and other critical minerals, which some battery recycling companies hope will help drive future business.
ABTC and Call2Recycle say their partnership will help improve the domestic collection and recycling process for lithium-ion batteries and “marks a significant step forward in making battery recycling more accessible and effective for the public.”
Call2Recycle is the largest consumer battery stewardship and collection program in the U.S., which Melsert says allows ABTC to extend its reach by “creating a seamless and accessible pathway for the public to recycle their batteries.”
Call2Recycle’s U.S. network has facilitated the recycling of over 160 million pounds of batteries to date, the organization said.
“Combining a subset of our collection network with ABTC’s cutting-edge recycling process creates a solution that benefits consumers, the environment, and the U.S. economy,” said Leo Raudys, CEO of Call2Recycle, in a statement.
Call2Recycle’s partnership with ABTC is one of several new collection collaborations. In February, Call2Recycle announced it added a new manufacturer-funded drop-off program for high-energy batteries used in certain outdoor power tools and equipment.
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