Key Highlights – EV Battery Recycling 2026
🏭 New Plants: Cirba Solutions opens Ohio facility with federal funding
💰 Funding: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law fueling large-scale expansions
⚙️ Tech Advances: From black mass shredding → hydrometallurgy + direct recycling
🌍 Growth: Market projected to grow 40.8% CAGR over 10 years
🔋 Impact: Up to 95% of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese recovered
📈 Scale: 200M EVs expected globally by 2030, boosting recycling urgency
Federal Support Drives New Recycling Facilities
Recent developments in U.S. EV battery recycling include significant facility expansions, such as the Cirba Solutions plant in Ohio, which recently opened after receiving federal funding, and efforts to build new large-scale facilities elsewhere in the country to meet growing demand.
Key challenges remain, including a projected shortage of old EV batteries and the need for efficient collection systems, but progress is being made through federal investments, new recycling technologies, and collaborations between companies.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and other federal programs are providing substantial funding for new EV battery recycling facilities, such as the new Cirba solutions plant in Ohio.
Technological Advancements
A number of American companies are developing more efficient and sustainable recycling methods. A few years ago, lithium-ion EV batteries were shredded and turned into a black powder called “black mass” that is combined with sulfuric acid.
Recycling companies separate such costly minerals as nickel and cobalt to be reused in new EV batteries. But now, newer methods dissolve the minerals to recover more useful material and produce no waste.
Curious how EV batteries work and why recycling matters? Read EV Battery Basics: Care and Longevity
These recycled materials are now integrated into the supply chain to be used by battery manufacturers. Also, direct recycling is being used to disassemble EV batteries without shredding them to reuse components directly.
The Growing Need
A recent report by Sustainability Online sites that the global market for EV battery recycling is set to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 40.8 percent over the next ten years. In fact, the recycling market is transitioning from niche operations to a critical pillar of the clean energy economy.
The urgency of finding ways to reuse old EV batteries is accelerating as electric vehicle adoption grows worldwide. A report by Vantage Market Research notes, “By 2030, more than 200 million EVs are expected to be on the road, globally.”
Looking ahead to future charging and recycling tech? Explore The Future of EV Charging
Increased EV battery recycling results in mineral security, recovering up to 95 percent of such key materials from lithium-ion batteries as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese.
According to the Vantage report, technological advances are driving EV battery recycling, with recent breakthroughs including Li-Cycle’s hydrometallurgical hubs in North America, Redwood Materials’ expansion in the U.S., and Umicore’s European mega-recycling facility.
“The sector has entered a decisive commercialization phase, unlocking unprecedented opportunities for automakers, energy providers, and investors focused on critical material security,” added Mrudula Shah, lead researcher at Vantage Market Research.
🔋 EV Battery & Charging Insights
- EV Battery Basics: Care and Longevity
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