DOE allocates $62 million to reduce costs for battery recycling
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated $62 million to help increase participation in consumer electronics battery recycling and improve the economics of battery recycling. The funding, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will be used to support 17 projects, which were selected for the DOE’s Consumer Electronics Battery Recycling, Reprocessing, and Battery Collection funding opportunity. Of the total funding, $14.4 million will be used to increase collection of end-of-life consumer electronics and stand-alone batteries for recycling, $40.1 million will be used to generate greater market demand for recycling consumer electronics batteries, and $7.2 million will be used to assist states and local governments in the initiation or enhancement of battery collection, recycling, and reprocessing.
In a recent quote, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said, “Capturing the full battery supply chain—from sourcing critical materials to manufacturing to recycling—puts the U.S. in the driver’s seat as we build our clean energy economy. With the historic support in President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we are creating a sustainable, circular supply chain that lowers costs for consumers and boosts our manufacturing global competitive edge.”
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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