Verónica Castro-AllendeNational battery recycling regulations, in the opinion of Cirba Solutions, are essential for the sector’s potential and its capacity to meet the demands of developing technology.
Battery recycling has become more widely discussed as a result of the emphasis on the electric vehicle ( EV ) movement. The second lead-acid battery was recycled in 1912, but today’s lithium-ion battery outperforms other battery chemistries like nickel-metal hydride or alkaline. Rechargeable batteries have sparked a technological advancement that has made it possible to make smaller batteries with higher energy densities, which lowers waste through reuse. Each new technology, though, has its own difficulties.
Navigating Global Initiatives and Industry Collaboration
To keep up with the development of engineering, other legislation and battery recycling regulations have been looked into. During the development of the expanding sectors, such as battery recycling and sustainability, cooperation with government, people, and private sector groups is essential.
The Battery Passport in Europe is one of the more well-known initiatives in the battery industry. The guidelines for measuring, auditing, and reporting environmental, social and governance ( ESG) parameters across the battery value chain are governed by this global reporting framework. It developed from the Circular Economy Initiative Germany and had 11 consortium partners from various fields, including science, technology, and more. The second quarter of 2025 is anticipated to mark the beginning of this three-year project, which began in 2022. The battery industry has been significantly impacted by the battery passport, which has also aided in the commercialization of battery recycling in private settings.
The Inflation Reduction Act ( IRA ), which was passed into law in the United States in August 2022, is another noteworthy piece of legislation. The IRA’s goal was to make an effort to de-risk investments in the battery supply chain, expand crucial value-added industries, and lessen reliance on foreign sources of crucial minerals and battery processing.
By establishing new standards for battery requirements over the following ten years, the IRA made significant advancements in the United States ‘ approach to sustainable content. In contrast, in order to move toward a round economy, the EU Battery Regulation will require extensive content requirements, such as carbon footprint tracking, battery materials and composition reporting, circularity and resource efficiency information, and more.
Industry-wide cooperation for battery recycling regulations
These initiatives to support improved safety and compliance in the battery market go beyond these. The United States Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees regulations pertaining to common waste and focuses on raising safety standards, announced a fresh cross-industry workgroup in January 2024 to concentrate on suggested recommendations for labeling and gathering end-of-life lithium batteries.
At the Consumer Electronic Show ( CES ), which features ground-breaking technologies and international innovation, this announcement was made. The Clean Vehicles and Infrastructure Advocate, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Samsung Electronics, Call2Recycle, EPA officials, and a renowned battery recycling company, Cirba Solutions, all participated in the panel that the agency hosted.
Although some battery recyclers have appeared in recent years, Cirba Solutions is the only one with the necessary industry experience to transport and process the market’s evolving battery chemistries. Cirba Solutions has remained faithful throughout the quick technological advancement of batteries, expanding its services and processing offerings to meet the demands of the market for battery recycling. To achieve the goal set back, which is to increase safety around end-of-life batteries and national battery recycling rates, it is essential to collaborate with teams that have experience on the front lines to ensure that the proposed guidance will be useful and practical.
The EPA has also announced work on the suggested guidelines for separating lithium batteries from their existing common waste guidelines in order to create a brand-new, unique category of general waste that is specifically designed for batteries. It is anticipated that this suggested guidance will be made available in the middle of 2025.
Advancements in Battery Regulation and Recycling: A global imperative to achieve the circular economy
Not merely governmental agencies want to focus more on batteries, but there are other organizations as well. The second state to enact a comprehensive producer responsibility law in the US specifically for EVs was New Jersey. The Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Battery Management Act, which went into effect in January 2024, mandates that battery manufacturers of “propulsion” batteries develop battery management strategies and submit them for approval to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection.
More focus has been placed on battery recycling as a result of the increased use of lithium batteries. What were once fixed resources have been transformed into green important minerals that can be recycled endlessly by this expanding component of the battery supply chain. This battery type has even shown how important it is to pay closer attention to safety when using or recycling any battery size. This is why organizations all over the world consider battery recycling-related activities to be crucial, and why governmental attention will be maintained.
