Photo courtesy of American Battery Technology Co.
Lithium-ion battery (LIB) recycler and refiner American Battery Technology Co. (ABTC) and battery stewardship and collection program Call2Recycle have announced a strategic partnership to advance the recycling of LIBs for consumers across the United States.
The partners say their initiative will expand ABTC’s business model from primarily business-to-business operations to include a direct-to-consumer recycling channel, creating a more robust circular economy for battery metals.
Call2Recycle, Atlanta, collects end-of-life LIBs from consumers and businesses through its extensive network of drop-off locations. Through this partnership, subsets of these batteries will be transported to Reno, Nevada-based ABTC’s recycling facilities. According to the partners, ABTC will process the batteries to recover critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel and manganese.
RELATED: Ryan Melsert on advancing a sustainable battery supply chain | The tone setters
“This partnership with Call2Recycle is a pivotal moment for ABTC, as it allows us to directly engage with consumers and extend the reach of our innovative recycling technologies,” ABTC CEO Ryan Melsert says. “By creating a seamless and accessible pathway for the public to recycle their batteries, we are not only expanding our operational scope but also reinforcing the domestic supply chain for critical minerals, which is essential for a sustainable energy future.”
ABTC and Call2Recycle say their partnership directly addresses the need to keep valuable battery metals within the domestic supply chain, reducing America’s dependence on foreign sources for the materials. By providing consumers with accessible recycling options, they say the partnership ensures valuable battery materials are recovered and reintroduced into the manufacturing cycle rather than sent to landfills.
Call2Recycle says its network already has facilitated the recycling of more than 160 million pounds of batteries.
“At Call2Recycle, our mission is to make battery recycling as convenient as possible for everyone, and our partnership with ABTC is a powerful force in achieving that goal,” CEO Leo Raudys says. “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. Together, we are leading the charge for a circular and sustainable battery ecosystem.”