Celebrating 35 Years of Battery Recycling Leadership on National Battery Day

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of National Battery Day (Feb. 18), Cirba Solutions, a national leader in battery recycling and critical minerals recovery, is celebrating 35 years of advancing responsible, safe and scalable battery recycling in North America.

Founded in 1991, the company has helped shape the modern battery recycling industry in North America – pioneering commercial scale lithium-ion processing and building one of the most comprehensive operational footprints coast-to-coast. As global battery demand accelerates, the company continues to strengthen domestic supply chains by focusing on the recovery and refinement of critical minerals required to support that growth.

Over its 35-year history, Cirba Solutions has achieved milestones that define its leadership in the industry:

• First company in the U.S. to process lithium-ion at a commercial scale.
• One of the only companies in the world to process lithium metal, used in the next generation of battery technology.
• The only battery recycler in the U.S. with an internal logistics fleet, ensuring end-to-end control, safety and compliance.

The company safely handles all battery chemistries and formats – including lithium-ion, lithium primary, alkaline, lead, and nickel-based batteries – serving automotive OEMs, retailers, gigafactories, data centers, municipalities and commercial enterprises.

"National Battery Day is an opportunity to recognize the crucial role batteries play in our daily lives, but also to reflect on how much this industry has evolved over the past 35 years," said David Klanecky, CEO and President of Cirba Solutions. "As one of the most experienced battery recyclers in the industry and with the largest operational footprint across North America, we have innovated alongside the shifting of battery chemistries and formats and rapidly advancing technologies. And through this, our mission has remained constant: Empower an electric future to accelerate human progress. We are building a resilient domestic supply chain for critical minerals — one that strengthens national security, supports advanced manufacturing and enables the energy transition utilizing these critical minerals."

Looking ahead, the company is strategically expanding its capabilities to meet the surging demand for battery-grade materials. Cirba Solutions is positioned to execute large-scale expansions that will produce battery-grade metal sulfates and lithium carbonate to support domestic battery manufacturing. To date, the company has:

• Increased processing capacity of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries and manufacturing scrap by 600 percent over the past few years.
• Invested more than $400 million into expanding capacity.
• Created new generational clean energy jobs across the country.

On National Battery Day, and every day, Cirba Solutions remains committed to increasing consumer awareness and access to safe battery recycling solutions. Key initiatives include:

• WeRecycle Battery Map: An online tool connecting consumers to nearly 750 locations across the United States, including retailers, municipalities and Cirba Solutions locations to recycle batteries.
• WeRecycle Battery Boxes: This turnkey solution enables users to recycle their end-of-life batteries safely and easily. Offered in different sizes, it comes with all necessary elements to fit DOT guidelines for handling, packaging and transportation needed to recycle batteries.

For more information about Cirba Solutions and how the company is supporting the priority of accelerating access to domestically sourced critical minerals by expanding the industrial base, thereby enhancing national security and global competitiveness, visit the company's website.

About Cirba Solutions
Cirba Solutions is a premier battery recycling company in North America, focused on critical material extraction from scrap and end-of-life batteries, and then supplying those materials back into the supply chain. As the only vertically integrated team with an operational, differentiated platform and a full suite of capabilities, Cirba Solutions is leading the creation of a circular battery supply chain. www.cirbasolutions.com

Follow Cirba Solutions on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Cirba Solutions