Clarios highlights recycling efforts in 2023 sustainability report

Clarios, a low-voltage battery developer based in Glendale, Wisconsin, has made circularity a focus in its 2023 sustainability report.

The company, which develops battery solutions or nearly every type of vehicle, says end-of-life batteries are a critical resource, and claims to operate one of the world’s “most successful examples of a circular economy,” recycling around 8,000 used batteries every hour of every day across its network. The company starts with raw materials selected during the battery design stage and ends the production cycle with the reuse of recyclable battery material to create a new battery.

Additionally, when new batteries are delivered to customers, Clarios takes back used batteries in return.

“We believe that our efforts to exceed industry-leading environmental and safety standards globally are a key driver of our success,” Clarios CEO Mark Wallace says. “Through our business practices, we aim to demonstrate a dedication to sustainability by seeking continued improvement to lower our greenhouse gas emissions.”

In the report, Clarios highlights its selection as the winner of the 2023 Circular Economy award at the World Sustainability Awards, which were held in Amsterdam in October 2023. Clarios was one of 15 companies shortlisted for the award and the only automotive company to make the final round of consideration.

The company says its batteries are designed so up to 99 percent of their materials can be recovered, recycled and repurposed to make new batteries or other products, and the closed-loop system and reverse logistics network reduce the need for hundreds of thousands of additional transportation miles each year.

Clarios notes the recycled materials in its batteries require 90 percent less energy to make and generate 90 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than virgin materials.

Also in the report, the company outlines its Blueprint 2030 plan, which it is using to build on its circular economy expertise and set clear expectations on how it will operate and report progress. Each Blueprint 2030 priority aligns with a specific United Nations Sustainable Development Goal the business can directly advance. Priorities include cross-functional accountability, the integration of sustainability into business strategy and science-based targets.

The full sustainability report can be found here.