Cirba Solutions celebrates 35 years of battery recycling

In recognition of National Battery Day (Feb. 18), battery recycler Cirba Solutions is marking its 35th anniversary and its impact on the industry’s growth in North America.

Founded in 1991, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company says it has helped shape the modern battery recycling industry in North America. It claims to have pioneered commercial-scale lithium-ion battery processing while building one of the most comprehensive coast-to-coast operational footprints.

“As global battery demand accelerates, the company continues to strengthen domestic supply chains by focusing on the recovery and refinement of critical minerals required to support that growth,” it says.

In its 35-year history, Cirba Solutions says it has achieved milestones that include becoming:

• the first company in the U.S. to process lithium-ion batteries at a commercial scale;
• one of the only companies in the world to process lithium metal—a material used in the next generation of battery technology; and
• the only battery recycler in the U.S. with an internal logistics fleet, ensuring end-to-end control, safety and compliance

Cirba Solutions notes it safely handles all battery chemistries and formats, including lithium-ion, lithium primary, alkaline, lead and nickel-based batteries, and serves automotive original equipment manufacturers, retailers, gigafactories, data centers, municipalities and commercial enterprises.

"National Battery Day is an opportunity to recognize the crucial role batteries play in our daily lives, but also to reflect on how much this industry has evolved over the past 35 years," says Cirba Solutions President and CEO David Klanecky. "As one of the most experienced battery recyclers in the industry and with the largest operational footprint across North America, we have innovated alongside the shifting of battery chemistries and formats and rapidly advancing technologies. And through this, our mission has remained constant: Empower an electric future to accelerate human progress. We are building a resilient domestic supply chain for critical minerals—one that strengthens national security, supports advanced manufacturing and enables the energy transition utilizing these critical minerals."

Looking ahead, the company says it is strategically expanding its capabilities to meet growing demand for battery-grade materials. It says it is positioned to execute large-scale expansions that will produce battery-grade metal sulfates and lithium carbonate to support domestic battery manufacturing.

To date, the company says it has increased processing capacity of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and manufacturing scrap by 600 percent over the past several years; has invested more than $400 million into expanding capacity; and has created new clean energy jobs across the U.S.

Cirba Solutions says it also is committed to increasing consumer awareness and access to safe battery recycling solutions, such as:

• WeRecycle Battery Map, an online tool connecting consumers to nearly 750 locations across the U.S., including retailers, municipalities and Cirba Solutions locations to recycle batteries.
• WeRecycle Battery Boxes, a turnkey solution that allows users to recycle their end-of-life batteries safely and easily. Offered in different sizes, the company says its boxes come with “all necessary elements” to fit U.S. Department of Transportation guidelines for handling, packaging and transportation needed to recycle batteries.

Cirba Solutions recommends visiting its website to learn more about how it is supporting the priority of accelerating access to domestically sourced critical minerals by expanding the industrial base, as well as enhancing national security and global competitiveness.