Call2Recycle collected nearly 8 million pounds of batteries during 2022

Call2Recycle has released its annual battery collection data for 2022. In 2022, nearly 8 million pounds of batteries were collected for recycling in the U.S., including over 3 million pounds of lithium-ion batteries, the highest number of lithium-ion batteries collected in the program's history.

Call2Recycle is a U.S.-based non-profit that works to advance battery collection and recycling exclusively in the U.S. through the support of battery and product manufacturers, consumers, and collection sites. Overall, U.S. battery collections dipped two percent from 2021; however, a 13 percent increase in lithium-ion battery collections drove an overall four percent growth in total rechargeable battery collections. In total, more than 5.6 million lbs of rechargeable batteries and over 2.3 million lbs of primary batteries were collected for recycling. Growing awareness among U.S. consumers was reflected in a 16 percent increase in online drop-off locator searches and a 12 percent increase in batteries collected from retail sites.

In Vermont, the first state in the U.S. that mandates primary battery producers to finance a battery recycling program, over 149,000 pounds of batteries were collected through Call2Recycle's established collection network, a slight increase from 2021.

Over 26,000 lbs of e-bike batteries were collected and recycled during the first year of the voluntary e-bike battery recycling program, powered by Call2Recycle and endorsed by PeopleForBikes. Supported by 37 participating OEMs representing 53 brands, the program now has over 1,600 specially trained e-bike battery collection sites nationwide. 

"Thanks to consumers, industry stewards, and our collection partners, we're able to continue safely and responsibly recycling batteries every year," says Call2Recycle CEO Leo Raudys. "At Call2Recycle, we're dedicated to making battery recycling more accessible to consumers while responsibly managing batteries at their end of life. Circularity plays an important part in ensuring safety and requires all of us – regulators, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers – to work together to responsibly recycle batteries."