Call2Recycle Rebrands as The Battery Network to Broaden Role in U.S. Battery Recycling System

Call2Recycle, one of North America’s longest-running battery recycling organizations, has rebranded as The Battery Network as it expands beyond collection into a broader national system focused on battery logistics, safety, and critical material recovery, the organization said in company reporting.

Founded more than three decades ago, the nonprofit has historically operated as a take-back and recycling program for household batteries. The name change reflects a strategic shift driven by rapid growth in battery use across electric vehicles, e-bikes, energy storage systems, and consumer electronics, sectors that have intensified concerns around fire risk, supply security, and end-of-life management.

Battery volumes in the U.S. have risen sharply alongside electrification trends. Federal data show lithium-ion battery demand has more than tripled over the past decade, while state governments have moved to tighten recycling and handling requirements. Observers note that collection-only models have struggled to keep pace with safety incidents at waste facilities and growing pressure to recover lithium, cobalt, and nickel domestically.

The Battery Network said it now operates more than 20,000 battery drop-off locations nationwide, covering major retail chains and municipal partners, and estimates that roughly four in five Americans live within a short drive of a collection point. The organization reported that it processes millions of pounds of batteries annually, routing materials through approved recycling and recovery partners.

Beyond collection, the group is positioning itself as a compliance and logistics platform for manufacturers and retailers facing a patchwork of state-level Extended Producer Responsibility laws. Several states, including California and New York, have advanced or proposed battery-specific EPR frameworks in recent years, increasing reporting, transport, and recycling obligations for producers. Industry groups argue that centralized compliance systems reduce cost and regulatory risk while improving safety outcomes.

Chief executive Leo Raudys said the organization’s expanded scope includes managing transportation, supporting safe handling standards, and helping return critical minerals to domestic supply chains. Analysts say such network-based approaches are gaining traction as policymakers link recycling capacity to energy security and industrial resilience.

The rebrand includes a new visual identity developed with design firm Pentagram, with rollout planned across retail, digital, and educational channels. The organization said it will continue developing programs for e-mobility batteries, electric vehicle packs, and public education on safe storage, areas regulators increasingly view as high-risk.

Market participants expect battery recycling infrastructure to become a bottleneck as EV adoption accelerates and early-generation batteries reach end of life later this decade. Groups that can integrate compliance, logistics, and material recovery at scale are likely to play a larger role in the circular energy economy.

Source: The Battery Network

SUNSHINE Spotlight: The Battery Network’s rebrand underscores a shift from simple collection toward a nationwide system designed to manage battery risks, regulations, and material recovery as electrification accelerates.