ERI, a recycler of e-waste in the U.S., has received official notice of a recommendation from the Department of Energy (DOE) in support of its approximately $5 million proposal for a plan to expand participation in electronics and consumer battery recycling.
After ERI submitted a comprehensive proposal titled “Expanding Consumer Participation in Electronics Recycling Programs Utilizing Targeted Marketing Campaigns,” the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) and the Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC) within the DOE completed an evaluation of ERI’s proposal and formally recommended it for negotiation of a financial grant award.
ERI’s application for grant funding of about $5 million is designed to support the DOE’s goal to increase collection of end-of-life consumer electronics and stand-alone batteries for recycling as a key contributor in developing a sustainable domestic source of battery-grade materials.
“We are grateful and excited about the DOE’s support of and commitment to bipartisan infrastructure laws surrounding consumer electronics battery recycling, reprocessing, and battery collection,” said John Shegerian, co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of ERI.
ERI has compiled a team of industry leaders across various stakeholder groups to ensure success. In its plan, ERI’s teaming partners include Best Buy, Staples, LG, Logitech, Samsung, Vizio, Sony, Waste Management, HP, Panasonic, ASUS USA, Circular Electronics Partnership, Electric Power Research Institute, e-Stewards, MRM, National Center for Electronics Recycling, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Reverse Logistics Association, Solid Waste Agency of Lake County IL, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and Washington Materials Management & Financing Authority.
With demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and stationary energy storage projected to expand the lithium battery market as much as tenfold by 2030, the DOE has stated that investments in sustainable, reduced-cost recycling of consumer batteries are critical to securing the domestic materials supply chain to meet that demand. Recycling used batteries reduces demand for new materials and allows our domestic industry to produce at lower costs, supporting the goal of creating a more sustainable battery supply chain and having EVs make up half of all vehicles sales in America by 2030.