Consumer Electronics Battery Recycling, Reprocessing, and Battery Collection

$10 million grants are available FOR battery recycling in the usa!

Funding Overview

Eligible Applicants

• Individuals
• Domestic Entities (Institutions of higher education; for-profit entities; non-profit entities; state and local governmental entities and Tribal Nations)
• DOE/NNSA FFRDC’s and non-DOE/NNSA FFRDCs and Federal Research Agencies (prime for topic areas 1 and 2; subrecipient only for topic areas 3 and 4)

Eligible Activities

Topic Area 1: Expanding Consumer Participation in Consumer Electronics Battery Recycling Programs

• Consumer awareness/education and behavior change campaigns developed using evidence-based best practices on:
  • The importance of recycling batteries and/or battery-containing devices
  • Identifying damaged and/or end-of-life batteries and what to do with them.
• Inclusion and application of community-informed messaging that emphasizes researching the audience, building trust, and reducing audience barriers to participating in battery recycling programs.
• Translating the developed education campaign materials into other languages for those whom English is not their first language.
• Creating comprehensive consumer-friendly documentation, guidelines, best practices, and educational walkthrough videos for clearing data from devices prior to drop-off/collection (for instance, based on National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 800-88 Guidelines for Media Sanitization).
• Software packages that integrate step-by-step guidelines for how to recycle consumer electronics, or projects that bring awareness to the availability of existing resources. Such software could include information on:
  • data sanitization
  • databases of up-to-date recycling drop-off locations paired with mapping software
  • tracking of certificates of data destruction, and/or
  • logistics and best practices for consumers, such as information on how to handle batteries (for example, “EPA best practices are to place each battery in separate plastic bags or place non-conductive tape (e.g., electrical tape) over the battery’s terminals”)

• Educational curricula and resources for primary and secondary schools that teach how to properly recycle batteries.

Topic Area 2: Improving the Economics of Recycling Consumer Electronics Batteries

• Novel approaches and processes that reduce the cost of collecting EOL life batteries
• Unique approaches that reduce the cost of transporting EOL batteries to a recycling facility.
• ‘Preprocessing’ a battery before it is transported to a recycling facility so that it is no longer classified as hazardous material.
• Improving storage conditions at collection points or recycling facilities to reduce cost while mitigating or eliminating safety concerns.
• New methods to streamline the end-of-life management process.
• New methods to promote the design and production of batteries that enable easier dismantling, reuse, recovery, and recycling of battery components and materials (e.g., design for sustainability/recycling).
• Methods to improve the safety of managing damaged EOL batteries before being recycled at a processing facility.
• Methods to reduce environmental impact and improve worker safety throughout the recycling process.
• Methods to ensure safe disposal of waste materials and components recovered during the recycling process.

Topic Area 3: State and Local Programs for Consumer Electronics Battery Collection, Recycling and Reprocessing

• Applications must address current issues, challenges, and opportunities for battery recycling, such as, but not limited to:
  • Collection: How to increase collection amounts and rates
  • Sorting: How to increase sorting accuracy, and reduce contamination in the recycling stream
  • Storage: Cost effective solutions compliant with federal, state, and local hazardous waste or universal waste storage requirements, such as 40 CFR parts 262-265 or 40 CFR part 273 (or state equivalents) for batteries, and all applicable fire code and/or other safety requirements
  • Transportation: Cost effective solutions compliant with DOT shipping requirements, such as 49 CFR 173.185 for batteries
  • Information: Amplification and dissemination of battery recycling resources including training, public information, workforce development/ training resources, and battery information such as identification, handling, safety, proper disposal, and regulations
• Applications must structure scope and tasks to provide reporting on the number of battery collection points established or enhanced and the quantity of material collected.
• Applications must provide data and documentation to support anticipated collection amounts, rates, and site selection(s).
• Applications must provide data and documentation to support anticipated downstream recycling, reprocessing, or material re-processors, users, or industries

Topic Area 4: Retailer Programs for Consumer Electronics Battery CollectioN

Applications must describe a recycling program for batteries with operational elements such as staffing, supplies, equipment, and locations. This program must:

• Include elements of battery collection, sorting, storing, transporting, recycling, and/or reprocessing
• Receive batteries or battery-containing products at no cost to the consumer
• Receive batteries or battery-containing products on a regular, convenient, and accessible basis
• Address data privacy concerns for battery-containing products
• Applications must address current issues, challenges, and opportunities for battery recycling, such as, but not limited to:
  • Collection: How to increase collection amounts and rates
  • Sorting: How to increase sorting accuracy, and reduce contamination in the recycling stream
  • Storage: Cost effective solutions compliant with federal, state, and local hazardous waste or universal waste storage requirements, such as batteries, and all applicable fire code and/or other safety requirements
  • Transportation: Cost effective solutions compliant with DOT shipping requirements, such as 49 CFR 173.185 for batteries
  • Information: Amplification and dissemination of battery recycling resources including training, public information, workforce development/ training resources, and battery information such as identification, handling, safety, proper disposal, and regulations

• Applications must structure scope and tasks to provide reporting on the number of battery collection points established or enhanced and the quantity of material collected.
• Applications must provide data and documentation to support anticipated collection amounts, rates, and site selection(s).
• Applications must provide data and documentation to support anticipated downstream recycling, reprocessing, or material re-processors, users, or industries