First America, one of America鈥檚 largest electronics recyclers, recently accepted an invitation to join the Soteria Consortium, a global, collaborative network of companies accelerating innovation in battery safety. The Soteria Consortium, which refers to itself as 鈥渁 platform for progress,鈥� already counts major electronics, battery, chemical, automotive and equipment companies among its members, as well as a variety of government and educational institutions.
鈥淎s one of the first electronics recycling firm to join the Soteria Consortium, First America will bring perspective on safer reuse and handling of lithium-ion and other battery types at end of life, especially the electric and hybrid vehicle batteries and e-bike batteries that have been a focus of the consortium鈥檚 collaborative efforts,鈥� said Les Bury, president, First America.
鈥淎t First America, we always have our eye on what鈥檚 next, and we are eager to offer input for enhancing battery safety during reuse and at end of life,鈥� Bury added. He noted that effective battery reuse and recycling promotes long-term safety by helping dramatically reduce the release of toxins and heavy metals into the soil and water.
Bury said First America will be sharing these and other benefits of battery reuse and recycling at Booth 1225 at The Battery Show, Oct. 6 鈥� 9, in Detroit. 鈥淲e all know that reuse and recycling are the right thing to do, but First America is working to ensure it also makes sense from a business perspective.鈥� Bury pointed out that some types of lithium-ion batteries used in various electric and hybrid electric vehicles have greater value-recovery in the recycling process. 鈥淲e work with our customers to identify the recoverable materials,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e know, for instance, that NCA (lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide) batteries, such as those used in EVs, have high recovery values, and LTO (lithium titanate) batteries used in some commercial vehicles have relatively low recovery values.鈥�
Bury explained that, depending on the recoverable assets, some batteries can be financially attractive to recycle, while others lack high-value metals, so their recycling is more about compliance and environmental responsibility than financial gain. 鈥淏usinesses that generate large volumes of battery waste should be aware of the types of batteries they are using and plan their recycling efforts and costs accordingly,鈥� he said. 鈥淩egardless of chemistry, all lithium-ion batteries require safe handling and specialized recycling processes to prevent hazards such as thermal runaway, fires, and environmental contamination. First America can help avoid these risks.鈥�
First America works with its customers to confirm the battery types being used and go through a detailed checklist for packaging batteries for safe shipment, based on their type and condition. Upon receipt, First America sorts and separates materials and works with a network of trusted vendors to safely recycle most battery types.听鈥淎s a part of the Soteria Consortium, we can provide recommendations to help guide manufacturers toward designs that provide easier separation and recovery of precious metals, which both helps recover greater value and is better for the planet,鈥� said Bury.