Ecobat Finalizes Sale of U.K. Recycling Business amid Wider European Exit Strategy

Ecobat has completed the sale of its battery recycling and specialty lead operations in the United Kingdom, covering facilities in Matlock and Welwyn Garden City, to funds advised by Splitstone Capital LLP, according to a company statement. The transaction represents a major step in Ecobat’s ongoing European restructuring, reinforcing the company’s strategic shift toward North American markets and the rapidly growing lithium-ion battery recycling sector.

According to Ecobat, the deal, combined with earlier divestitures in France, Italy, Germany, and Austria, allows the company to focus resources on core recycling platforms and accelerate expansion of its lithium-ion battery recycling business.

Earlier in 2025, Ecobat completed the sale of its French lead operations to Campine NV, transferring facilities in Estrée-Saint-Denis, Bazoches and Pont-Sainte-Maxence. According to reports, the deal closed after regulatory and works-council approvals, marking Ecobat’s official exit from the French lead-acid recycling sector (excluding its lithium-ion battery collection business). 

In July 2025, Ecobat also divested its Italian battery and polypropylene recycling operations — including sites in Marcianise, Paderno Dugnano, and Bologna — transferring them to Haiki + S.p.A. and thus winding down its presence in Italy. 

Additionally, in August 2025 the firm announced an agreement to sell its German and Austrian battery recycling and specialty lead operations — covering facilities in Freiberg and Braubach (Germany) and Arnoldstein (Austria) — to Clarios. Ecobat stated the transaction would complement prior divestitures and facilitate a more focused global business structure. 

Industry analysts note that Ecobat’s successive exits from multiple European lead-acid markets reflect a broader trend in the battery recycling sector: as demand grows for lithium-ion batteries driven by electric vehicle adoption and energy storage needs, recyclers are increasingly shifting away from legacy lead-acid processes. This repositioning appears especially driven by regulatory pressure in Europe and attractive growth opportunities in North America for lithium-ion recycling. Combined with Ecobat’s refocusing, these strategic moves suggest a significant pivot toward next-generation battery technologies and sustainable materials recovery.

Ecobat’s recent string of divestitures — from France and Italy to Germany, Austria, and now the U.K. — thus draws a clear roadmap: gradually wind down legacy operations in Europe, redeploy capital and management attention to advanced battery recycling, and target markets where regulatory conditions and demand favor lithium-ion closed-loop recycling.

Source: Ecobat

SUNSHINE Spotlight: Ecobat’s exit from Europe signals a decisive pivot toward high-growth lithium-ion recycling and a reshaped global strategy focused on North America.