batteries

Governors in Washington and Nebraska signed e-scrap bills into law recently, giving Washingtonians the right to repair their consumer electronics and Nebraskans an extended producer responsibility program for batteries. 

After a year that recorded a notable increase in e-scrap facility battery fires, the growing hazard and ways of mitigating it received ample attention at the Recycled Materials Association's annual conference in San Diego this week.

Colorado is adding extended producer responsibility for another material stream to its state laws, this time for batteries. 

As recycling companies seek to improve workplace safety amid an industry-wide increase in on-the-job fatalities, experts at a recent industry summit advised managers to focus their attention on — and for top executives, even to attend — the regular pre-shift safety meetings.

Li-Cycle, once poised to build the first lithium-ion battery recycling facility of its kind in North America, is changing its leadership and limiting operations as it tries to sell the business or its assets. 

By creatively utilizing existing collection infrastructure, a county government in Maryland is rolling out curbside electronics and battery collection for all electronics at no additional cost.

[caption id="attachment_25535" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] The company previously announced it was postponing its new Europe battery recycling plant and pausing construction on its Canada battery materials plant. | Owlie Productions/Shutterstock[/caption] Belgian battery specialist company Umicore added on-again, off-again t

Facing continuing losses year over year, lithium-ion battery processor Li-Cycle voiced concern in recent SEC filings about its ability to "achieve or sustain profitability" and repay its debts, as it has for several years. 

This year has been a busy one for policy concerning e-scrap and electronics, with several dozen bills filed in states across the country. 

There were 14 publicly reported fires at North American electronics recycling facilities in 2024, representing a 56% increase over the prior year, according to an annual review by fire detection equipment supplier Fire Rover. It's the highest yearly figure since the company began tracking fire statistics.