North America Battery Recycling Market
North America Battery Recycling Market by Chemistry (Lead Acid, Nickel, Lithium), Material (Metals, Electrolytes, Plastics), Source (Automotive, Industrial, Consumer and Electronics), Processing State, Recycling Process, and Country - Forecast to 2030
OVERVIEW
Source: Secondary Research, Interviews with Experts, MarketsandMarkets Analysis
The North America battery recycling market is projected to grow from USD 9.70 billion in 2025 to USD 15.27 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 9.5% during the forecast period. The North American battery recycling market is experiencing robust growth as a result of the production of vegan electric vehicles, growing battery consumption in consumer electronics, and strict environmental regulations that are coming into effect in the US, Mexico, and Canada. The producers and the government are putting substantial amounts of money into modern recycling plants to get valuable resources like lithium, cobalt, and nickel back, which in turn lessens the dependence on imported raw materials and also supports the local battery supply chains. The increasing attention towards circular economy models, together with federal and state policies, is fueling the demand for efficient and sustainable battery recycling solutions in the region.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
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BY COUNTRYMexico is expected to register the highest CAGR of 10.3% during forecast period.
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BY CHEMISTRYBy chemistry, the lithium-based battery segment accounted for a 50.3% market share in 2024.
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BY SOURCEBy source, the automotive batteries segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 10.0% during forecast period.
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BY PROCESSING STATEBy processing state, extraction of materials is expected to dominate the market.
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BY RECYCLING PROCESSBy recycling process, lithium-ion battery recycling process is expected to dominate the market.
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BY MATERIALBy material, the metals segment is expected to dominate the market.
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Competitive Landscape - Key PlayersCall2Recycle, Inc., Cirba Solutions, and Element Resources were identified as some of the star players in the North America battery recycling market due to their strong market share and product footprint.
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Competitive Landscape - StartupsBattery Recycling Made Easy, Duesenfeld GmbH, Envirostream Australia Pty Ltd., and others have distinguished themselves among startups and SMEs by securing strong footholds in specialized niche areas, underscoring their potential as emerging market leaders.
The market is witnessing strong growth driven by the rapid expansion of EV adoption, increasing deployment of energy storage systems, and a rising volume of end-of-life lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries entering the supply chain. Supportive government policies, growing emphasis on circular economy practices, and the need to secure domestic supplies of critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt are accelerating investments in advanced recycling facilities across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
TRENDS & DISRUPTIONS IMPACTING CUSTOMERS' CUSTOMERS
The impact on consumers' businesses arises from evolving customer trends or market disruptions. The growth of end-use industries, such as automotive batteries, industrial batteries, consumer & electronics batteries, energy storage system (ESS) batteries, leads to the growth of the market. These megatrends are expected to drive growth and increase the revenue of the market.
Source: Secondary Research, Interviews with Experts, MarketsandMarkets Analysis
MARKET DYNAMICS
Level
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Rapid growth of electric vehicles in US and Canada
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Stringent government regulations related to battery recycling, along with EPA guidelines in North America
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Safety issue related to storage and transportation of spent batteries
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Rising demand for renewable energy storage system
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High cost of recycling and dearth of technologies
Source: Secondary Research, Interviews with Experts, MarketsandMarkets Analysis
Driver: Rapid growth of electric vehicles in US and Canada
The accelerating adoption of electric vehicles across the US and Canada is significantly boosting the volume of lithium-ion batteries entering the recycling stream. As OEMs expand EV production and early EV models approach end-of-life, the region is experiencing a sharp rise in spent traction batteries and manufacturing scrap from new gigafactories. This surge in EV deployment not only increases feedstock availability but also strengthens the economic case for scaling advanced recycling capacity to recover critical minerals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt, making EV growth a major driver of the North American battery recycling market.
Restraint: Safety issue related to storage and transportation of spent batteries
Storage and transportation of spent batteries, especially lithium-ion cells, pose acute safety risks that restrain the market. Damaged, swollen, or improperly packed cells can enter thermal runaway, igniting fires that are difficult to extinguish and can reignite hours or days later. Such incidents have caused dozens of fires at waste-handling and recycling facilities and on collection/transport vehicles. Regulatory authorities, therefore, treat lithium batteries as hazardous materials and require strict packaging, labeling, state-of-charge limits, and handling procedures to reduce incident risk. Those safety realities translate directly into higher costs and operational constraints for recyclers: specialized storage facilities, dedicated transport procedures, insurance premiums, and staff training are required to meet DOT/PHMSA, IATA, and local fire-safety rules. These compliance and infrastructure burdens slow feedstock collection, raise barriers for new entrants, and can limit throughput, making secure, standardized collection and safer battery designs essential to unlocking scale in the market.
Opportunity: Rising demand for renewable energy storage system
The rapid expansion of renewable energy projects, especially solar and wind, across the US and Canada is creating significant demand for stationary energy storage systems, which rely heavily on lithium-ion batteries. As large-scale grid storage, residential solar-plus-storage, and commercial backup systems grow, the future volume of spent ESS batteries will increase substantially. This emerging wave of high-capacity battery waste presents a major opportunity for recyclers to secure a steady long-term feedstock while enabling the circular supply of critical materials essential for the clean energy transition.
Challenge: High cost of recycling and dearth of technologies
The economic viability of battery recycling in North America remains under pressure as the costs of recycling often exceed the value of the recovered materials. Building and operating a lithium-ion battery recycling plant demands heavy capital investment, specialized equipment, energy, and labor. Even with advanced methods, total per-kg costs can be economically prohibitive, especially when the recovered metals or minerals have volatile prices. Compounding the cost problem is a lack of sufficiently mature, scalable recycling technologies and standardized processes, especially for the wide variety of battery chemistries, cell formats, and pack designs now in circulation. For instance, manual dismantling of battery packs remains labor-intensive and risky, and full automation is hampered by the heterogeneity of battery designs and safety hazards. As a result, throughput is limited, per-unit processing remains costly, and for many battery chemistries, the recycled output does not yield sufficient economic return, discouraging large-scale recycling investment.
North America Battery Recycling Market: COMMERCIAL USE CASES ACROSS INDUSTRIES
| COMPANY | USE CASE DESCRIPTION | BENEFITS |
|---|---|---|
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Manages nationwide collection and recycling programs for consumer batteries, supporting retailers, manufacturers, and municipalities with safe battery disposal solutions across North America | Enhances responsible battery waste management, reduces landfill risks, ensures compliance with recycling regulations, and supports sustainability goals through safe and efficient material recovery |
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Provides end-to-end lithium-ion and specialty battery recycling services, including collection, transportation, sorting, and advanced material recovery for automotive, industrial, and electronics sectors | Improves resource circularity by recovering valuable metals, enhances operational safety through proper battery handling, reduces environmental impact, and supports domestic supply chains for critical materials |
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Offers recycling and refined-material recovery solutions for spent lithium-ion batteries used in energy-storage systems, electric vehicles, and industrial applications, using advanced hydrometallurgical processing | Improves efficiency of raw-material reuse, lowers waste generation, reduces reliance on imported critical minerals, and supports cleaner manufacturing through sustainable recycling practices |
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Specializes in lead-acid and lithium-ion battery recycling, operating smelting and metal-recovery facilities that process automotive, industrial, and backup-power batteries across North America | Extends battery lifecycle through high-yield metal recovery, reduces environmental hazards from improper disposal, supports closed-loop lead and lithium supply chains, and strengthens regional manufacturing sustainability |
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Recycles end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and manufacturing scrap to extract key materials such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt, and reintegrates them into new battery-component production | Supports a circular EV-battery ecosystem, reduces dependence on mining, lowers carbon footprint, improves material supply security, and enhances overall economic and environmental sustainability for battery manufacturers |
Logos and trademarks shown above are the property of their respective owners. Their use here is for informational and illustrative purposes only.
MARKET ECOSYSTEM
The North America battery recycling ecosystem consists of raw material suppliers (e.g., Hyundai, Girardin Blue Bird, and others), producers (e.g., Call2Recycle, Inc., Cirba Solutions, Redwood Materials, Inc.), distributors (e.g., Brenntag N.V., Riverland Trading), and end users (e.g., Panasonic Holdings Corporation, and others).
Logos and trademarks shown above are the property of their respective owners. Their use here is for informational and illustrative purposes only.
MARKET SEGMENTS
Source: Secondary Research, Interviews with Experts, MarketsandMarkets Analysis
North America Battery Recycling Market, By Chemistry
The lithium-based battery segment is projected to experience the fastest growth, driven by accelerating EV adoption and the expanding deployment of energy storage systems, which are increasing the flow of end-of-life NMC, NCA, and LFP batteries into recycling channels. High-value chemistries such as NMC and NCA continue to boost demand thanks to their recoverable nickel and cobalt content, while the rapid rise of LFP in both EVs and stationary storage is encouraging recyclers to develop efficient, high-volume processes suited to this chemistry. Overall, the market’s shift toward lithium-based batteries is amplifying the need for advanced, chemistry-specific recycling technologies and supporting strong long-term growth opportunities.
North America Battery Recycling Market, By Source
By source, the automotive batteries segment is anticipated to experience the strongest growth as the region’s EV fleet rapidly expands and the first waves of electric vehicles begin reaching end-of-life. Rising volumes of spent lithium-ion packs from passenger cars, commercial EVs, and hybrids are providing recyclers with a stable and valuable stream of feedstock, further supported by OEM-backed take-back initiatives and state policies encouraging circularity. As automakers shift to higher-capacity batteries and scale domestic production, the recycling landscape is accelerating to recover critical materials, strengthen supply chain resilience, and handle the growing influx of returned automotive batteries—positioning this segment as the fastest-growing source in the North American market.
REGION
Mexico to be fastest-growing country in North America battery recycling market during forecast period
Mexico is emerging as the fastest-growing country in the North America battery recycling market, supported by a rapidly expanding automotive manufacturing base and rising EV-related investments. The country’s strong presence of vehicle assembly plants and growing adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles are increasing the flow of spent batteries entering recycling channels. Additionally, Mexico’s cost-effective industrial operations and supportive regulatory shifts toward sustainable waste management are attracting major recyclers to scale their footprint.
North America Battery Recycling Market: COMPANY EVALUATION MATRIX
In the North America battery recycling market matrix, Call2Recycle, Inc. (Star) leads with its integrated supply chain to maximize market reach and product diversification. Players under the Stars category primarily focus on new service & technology launches, as well as acquiring leading market positions through the provision of broad portfolios, catering to different requirements of customers. They are also focused on innovations and are geographically diversified. They also have broad industry coverage. Apart from that, they have strong operational and financial strength and endeavor to grow organically and inorganically in the market. Aqua Metals, Inc. (Emerging Leader) has a strong potential to build strategies to expand its business and stay on par with the star players. However, emerging leaders have not adopted effective growth strategies for their overall business.
Source: Secondary Research, Interviews with Experts, MarketsandMarkets Analysis
KEY MARKET PLAYERS
- Call2Recycle, Inc. (US)
- Cirba Solutions (US)
- Element Resources (US)
- Ecobat (US)
- Redwood Materials Inc. (US)
- American Battery Technology Company (ABTC) (US)
- Aqua Metals, Inc. (US)
- East Penn Manufacturing Company (US)
- The International Metals Reclamation Company (us)
- Enersys (US)
- Gopher Resource (US)
- Raw Materials Company (RMC) (Canada)
- Recyclico Battery Materials Inc. (Canada)
- Terrapure (Canada)
- The Doe Run Company (US)
MARKET SCOPE
| REPORT METRIC | DETAILS |
|---|---|
| Market Size in 2024 (Value) | USD 8.85 BN |
| Market Forecast in 2030 (Value) | USD 15.27 BN |
| CAGR (2025–2030) | 9.5% |
| Years Considered | 2018–2030 |
| Base Year | 2024 |
| Forecast Period | 2025–2030 |
| Units Considered | Value (USD Billion) |
| Report Coverage | Revenue forecast, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends |
| Segments Covered | By Processing State (Extraction of Material, Reuse, Repackaging & Second life, and Disposal) |
| Countries Covered | US, Canada, and Mexico |
WHAT IS IN IT FOR YOU: North America Battery Recycling Market REPORT CONTENT GUIDE
DELIVERED CUSTOMIZATIONS
We have successfully delivered the following deep-dive customizations:
| CLIENT REQUEST | CUSTOMIZATION DELIVERED | VALUE ADDS |
|---|---|---|
| Support in planning end-of-life EV battery recovery and closed-loop recycling | We analyzed EV retirement timelines, chemistry-wise recycling economics, and optimal reverse-logistics networks. The study also mapped US/Canada regulatory requirements and benchmarked hydrometallurgical and direct recycling options to help OEMs design effective take-back programs. | This enabled OEMs to secure critical minerals through closed-loop systems, reduce supply-chain risk, and meet compliance and sustainability goals while lowering long-term material costs. |
| Optimize recycling of production scrap and evaluate in-house vs. outsourced recycling | We assessed scrap generation trends across cell formats, modeled black mass output, and compared the economics of on-site preprocessing with third-party recyclers. Incentive mapping helped identify federal and provincial funding opportunities for domestic recovery. | Clients reduced waste-handling costs, improved recovery yields, and strengthened eligibility for critical-mineral tax credits, supporting more resilient and sustainable manufacturing. |
| Improve recovery and safe handling of small-format Li-ion batteries | We evaluated collection networks, safe disassembly processes, and revenue potential from cobalt-rich chemistries. Regulatory and export compliance assessments supported secure and efficient material flows. | Clients enhanced recycling margins, minimized safety risks, and strengthened adherence to e-waste stewardship requirements. |
| Assess end-of-life pathways and second-life potential for ESS batteries | We modeled ESS retirement cycles, compared second-life reuse with direct recycling, and evaluated compliance with NFPA and UL standards. Market insights supported strategic planning for future feedstock volumes. | Clients identified cost-effective repurposing opportunities, extended asset value, and ensured regulatory compliance while preparing for rising recycling demand. |
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
- April 2023 : Cirba Solutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Honda to collect, process, and return recycled battery materials to be used as raw material feedstock for Honda’s battery supply chain for application in future electric vehicle batteries.
- February 2023 : Ecobat signed a strategic partnership with Tevva, a British electric vehicle manufacturer, for the repair, repurpose, and recycling of lithium-ion batteries. The partnership started with a 12-month pilot for battery handling and repair with an opportunity to expand into repurposing and recycling.
- April 2022 : Call2Recycle, Inc. announced its partnership with Li Industries to enhance its battery sorting and recycling using Li Industries’ innovative technology. Both companies will be refining their approach to lithium-ion battery processing, with the commercialization of their process expected in 2023.
Table of Contents
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Methodology
The study involved four major activities in estimating the current market size of battery recycling. Exhaustive secondary research was done to collect information on the market, the peer market, and the parent market. The next step was to validate these findings, assumptions, and sizes with industry experts across the value chain of battery recycling through primary research. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches were employed to estimate the complete market size. After that, market breakdown and data triangulation were used to estimate the size of the segments and sub-segments of the market.
Secondary Research
The research methodology used to estimate and forecast the access control market begins with capturing data on revenues of key vendors in the market through secondary research. In the secondary research process, various secondary sources, such as Hoovers, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Factiva, World Bank, and Industry Journals, were referred to for identifying and collecting information for this study. These secondary sources included annual reports, press releases & investor presentations of companies; white papers; certified publications; articles by recognized authors; notifications by regulatory bodies; trade directories; and databases. Vendor offerings have also been taken into consideration to determine market segmentation.
Primary Research
The North America Battery Recycling Market comprises several stakeholders, such as such as battery suppliers, processors, recycling companies, and regulatory organizations in the supply chain. Various primary sources from both the supply and demand sides of the market were interviewed to obtain qualitative and quantitative information. Primary sources from the supply side included industry experts such as Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), vice presidents, marketing directors, technology and innovation directors, and related key executives from various key companies and organizations operating in the battery recycling industry. Primary sources from the demand side included directors, marketing heads, and purchase managers from various sourcing industries. Following is the breakdown of the primary respondents:
Market Size Estimation
Both the top-down and bottom- up approaches were used to estimate and validate the total size of the battery recycling industry. These methods were also used extensively to determine the size of various sub-segments in the market. The research methodology used to estimate the market size included the following:
- The key players were identified through extensive primary and secondary research.
- The value chain and market size of the North America Battery Recycling Market, in terms of value, were determined through primary and secondary research.
- All percentage shares, splits, and breakdowns were determined using secondary sources and verified through primary sources.
- All possible parameters that affect the market covered in this research study were accounted for, viewed in extensive detail, verified through primary research, and analyzed to obtain the final quantitative and qualitative data.
- The research included the study of reports, reviews, and newsletters of top market players, along with extensive interviews for opinions from key leaders, such as CEOs, directors, and marketing executives.
Data Triangulation
After arriving at the overall market size using the market size estimation processes as explained above, the market was split into several segments and sub-segments. To complete the overall market engineering process and arrive at the exact statistics of each market segment and subsegment, the data triangulation and market breakdown procedures were employed, wherever applicable. The data was triangulated by studying various factors and trends from both the demand and supply sides in the automotive and non-automotive sources.
Market definition
Battery recycling refers to the process of collecting and reprocessing used batteries to recover valuable materials and reduce environmental impact. It involves the safe and responsible disposal of batteries, followed by the extraction and recycling of materials such as precious metals (e.g., lead, lithium, copper, nickel, cobalt) and other components (e.g., plastic, acid) that can be reused or repurposed. Battery recycling helps conserve natural resources, minimize pollution, and prevent hazardous substances from entering the environment.
Key Stakeholders
- Governments and research organizations
- Battery manufacturers
- Electric vehicle manufacturers
- Mining companies
- Oil companies expanding into alternative energy
- Recycling associations and Industrial bodies
- Battery recycling manufacturers/traders
Report Objectives:
- To analyze and forecast the market size of battery recycling in terms of value
- To provide detailed information regarding the major factors (drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities) influencing the regional market
- To analyze and forecast the global North America Battery Recycling Market on the basis of source, chemistry, and region
- To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders and provide details of a competitive landscape for market leaders
- To strategically analyze the micromarkets with respect to individual growth trends, growth prospects, and their contribution to the overall market
- To forecast the size of various market segments based on five major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and the Middle East & Africa, along with their respective key countries
- To track and analyze the competitive developments, such as new technology launches, joint ventures, partnerships, contracts, collaborations, acquisitions, agreements, investments, and expansions, in the market
- To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their market shares and core competencies
Available Customizations:
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The following customization options are available for the report:
- Additional country-level analysis of the North America Battery Recycling Market
- Profiling of additional market players (up to 5)
Product Analysis
- Product matrix, which gives a detailed comparison of the product portfolio of each company.
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Growth opportunities and latent adjacency in North America Battery Recycling Market