America is entering a new energy era—one driven by electric vehicles (EVs), grid-scale battery storage, and advanced electronics. But with this progress comes a critical question: what happens to the batteries when they reach the end of their life?
Without a national mandate to ensure proper collection and recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries, the U.S. risks sending millions of pounds of critical minerals to landfills each year. That’s not just a waste of materials—it’s a missed opportunity to build energy independence and strengthen our economy.
A federal battery recycling mandate would hold manufacturers and importers responsible for battery lifecycle management, requiring them to recover and recycle materials domestically. This would reduce America’s reliance on imported minerals and ensure that valuable resources like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite are reused instead of discarded.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more than half of these materials are currently sourced from foreign countries—some of which present long-term strategic and economic risks. By recycling these minerals here at home, the U.S. can secure its own supply chains, reduce exposure to global market shocks, and build resilience into its clean energy infrastructure.
American Li-ion’s domestic recycling technology is built for this very purpose. Our modular systems process black mass—the mixture of valuable metals found in used lithium-ion batteries—into battery-grade materials entirely within the U.S. We eliminate the need for overseas refining, reduce transportation costs, and keep critical minerals and economic value where they belong: on American soil.
Recycling also means jobs. According to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), every gigawatt-hour (GWh) of recycled battery capacity supports approximately 17 permanent jobs. If the U.S. reaches 160 GWh of capacity, that translates to 2,700 jobs in recycling alone. Add battery pack manufacturing, component processing, and domestic material handling, and that number grows exponentially.
In fact, the ICCT estimates that the full EV battery supply chain in the U.S. could support between 84,000 and 125,000 jobs by 2032. These are not speculative jobs—they are a direct result of policy, investment, and industry expansion already underway.
These are good-paying jobs in manufacturing, engineering, quality assurance, logistics, and operations—many of which will be created in small and mid-sized American towns that have historically been left behind in global economic shifts. With the right policy, battery recycling could become a cornerstone of America’s next industrial boom.
Federal policy is already heading in the right direction. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) includes strict sourcing requirements for the EV tax credit. In 2023, 40% of battery materials must be sourced from the U.S. or its allies to qualify. By 2027, that number rises to 80%. Recycling within the U.S. is one of the most effective ways to meet those thresholds without relying on unstable international supply chains.
In addition, the Department of Energy has awarded $725 million in grants to commercial recycling efforts to scale up infrastructure, improve recovery technology, and deploy systems across the country.
Recycling also brings a powerful return on investment. The U.S. recycling industry already contributes over $110 billion to the economy and supports more than 530,000 jobs. By adding lithium-ion batteries to that stream, the U.S. can grow its domestic industrial base while reducing environmental impacts.
And those environmental benefits are real. A World Economic Forum report shows that battery recycling can reduce carbon emissions by up to 40% compared to using raw, mined materials. This makes recycling not just good for business, but essential for sustainability and national emissions goals.
Just as importantly, recycling improves safety. Lithium-ion batteries can be dangerous if landfilled, incinerated, or left in storage. Fires caused by improper disposal are already on the rise. A national mandate would help enforce uniform safety protocols across states, reducing the risk of hazardous incidents and protecting both workers and communities.
American Li-ion is ready for this future. Our systems are built to operate in industrial hubs, logistics centers, and local recovery facilities alike—ensuring that battery materials are captured, refined, and reintroduced into domestic production cycles.
We don’t need to send our critical minerals overseas. We can collect them here, refine them here, and put them back to work powering American cars, homes, and industries. That’s not just environmentally responsible—it’s economically strategic.
A national battery recycling mandate would help unlock this full potential: creating jobs, protecting supply chains, reducing emissions, and empowering the U.S. to lead in energy innovation. It’s more than a policy—it’s an investment in American self-reliance and prosperity.
At American Li-ion, we believe that the future of energy independence starts with what we recover—not just what we extract.
