Multiple announcements and updated issued by the Call2Recycle program over recent months reinforce the growing awareness and increased need for businesses to embrace the battery stewardship and collection effort. Of particular interest to ag equipment dealerships in rural areas across the country are statistics shared by the organization and the growing list of outdoor equipment manufacturers participating.
“Compared to fewer than one million today, at least 61 million Americans will be living in states with a recycling requirement for all household batteries by 2027,” according to a Call2Recycle news release. It added, “This demonstrates rapid growth in the battery recycling industry within the next three years and highlights the need for preparation, according to U.S. Census and state data obtained by Call2Recycle.”
The update also noted that due to pending or expected legislation in other states, household battery recycling requirements may expand to an additional 68 million people, for a total reach of 129 million Americans by 2027.
Call2Recycle anticipates that the battery recycling industry will need to greatly expand its coordination and operations to prepare for this growth. This includes adding more convenient recycling drop-off options, increasing recycling capacity, enhancing transportation services, and developing larger processing facilities.
Call to Action for Call2Recycle Program Growth
“The battery recycling community must work together to plan for this positive but dramatic transformation in our industry,” said Leo Raudys, CEO of Call2Recycle, the nation’s largest consumer battery stewardship and collection program. “We have the potential to leverage this unprecedented growth and the necessary coordination and planning to build a more robust circular economy.”
Call2Recycle, Inc. is committed to protecting and preserving the environment through responsible end-of-life management of consumer batteries, cell phones, and related products. Founded in 1994, the not-for-profit organization works on behalf of stakeholders to provide its battery recycling program to consumers across the U.S.
In an overview about the status of the Call2Recycle initiative, the program’s CEO offered a summary of how the program works, addressed the biggest challenges in battery recycling and offered a snapshot of its progress. He noted that businesses can improve recycling rates by participating in its take-back program, focusing on consumer education and taking a more active role in how batteries are disposed of at end-of-life.
Equipment dealerships interested in becoming Call2Recycle collection sites are encouraged to submit a form on the program website. From there, program coordinators review the information to determine the services that best fit the organization. Additionally, dealers can obtain more information by calling 877.723.1297 or visit the website for a range of resources.
Leo Raudys, Call2Recycle CEO answered a range of questions in a news article published by Sustainable Business Magazine, with highlights shared below.
“Our High Energy Battery and E-Bike Battery Recycling programs are the most recent examples of our ongoing efforts to responsibly address the need to recycle the batteries increasingly found in batteries all over the world,” according to Raudys, commenting on the next steps in advancing sustainable battery disposal. “We’ve begun working with EV manufacturers to provide logistics and recycling solutions for EV batteries, including hybrid batteries, so you’ll be seeing more of that in the future,” he told Sustainable Business Magazine.
He applauded Chervon, Husqvarna, Makita, Stanley Black & Decker, STIHL, Techtronic Industries, and The Toro Company “for their efforts to promote a circular economy and solve a pressing consumer problem,” which is answering the question of what to do with used batteries.
“The fact that 7 leading companies had the foresight to partner with us on this initiative is a huge success in and of itself,” Raudys says.
He reflected on the foundational work they are putting into help the program succeed, saying, “Our work is about driving awareness, increasing collection, and building out a robust network of battery sorters and processors. We’ve been building the systems to do all of this over the last 30 years, and we’re now the nation’s leading consumer battery recycling program. We have worked to create a compliant and secure infrastructure that aligns with regulations and has the support of over 220 battery and product manufacturers and nearly 9000 drop off sites. This has led to the recycling of more than 160 million pounds of batteries since our inception in 1994.
3 Key Facts about Call2Recycle for Equipment Dealers
- The High Energy Battery Program accepts li-ion batteries over 300-watt hours produced and sold by the seven manufacturers funding the program. These batteries are commonly found in battery operated outdoor power equipment, such as lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and string trimmers.
- Call2Recycle brings together all the pieces of the consumer battery recycling puzzle (education and awareness outreach, secure and compliant packaging, safety training, manufacturer support, drop-off site partners) to safely and responsibly recycle consumer batteries.
- The program partners with OEMs to fund our work and have deep relationships with leading national retailers and other partners to collect used batteries. Once a consumer drops off one of these larger batteries at a collection site, Call2Recycle coordinates delivery of those batteries to sorting locations, where batteries are consolidated into single chemistry types that are then shipped to recycling processors. It then carefully vets all of the sorters and recyclers that participate in the network, so consumers can be confident that their batteries are being recycled safely and responsibly.
