EV Battery Recycling Resources for Recyclers / Dismantlers

SP’s Responsible Battery Work Group provides a forum for automakers and suppliers to work together to advance responsible management of advanced vehicle batteries.

The following is a collection of various publicly available resources that may be helpful to recyclers, repurposers and other stakeholders seeking additional information regarding proper handling and disposal of end of life electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

EV Battery Transportation Resources

• Regulations Governing Shipment of Electric Vehicle (EV) Batteries in the U.S. This guidance document identifies current U.S. EV battery transportation regulations by chemistry (lithium-ion vs. nickel-metal hydride), by state of health (end-of-life vs. damaged-defective-recalled), and by mode of transportation (land / rail, air, or sea), and then links those regulations to types of shipping containers permitted for use.
• Overview of Battery Transport Regulations. PRBA (the Rechargeable Battery Association) offers a short guidance document on applicable U.S. Hazardous Materials Regulations and International Dangerous Goods Regulations for lithium batteries.
• US DOT Hazardous Materials Regulations. PHMSA’s Office of Hazardous Materials Safety develops regulations and standards for the classifying, handling and packaging of shipments of hazardous materials within the United States.  PHMSA’s website includes descriptions of important regulatory programs and links.
• How to Comply with Federal Hazardous Materials Regulations. This Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration document provides only a general overview of the requirements for transporting hazardous materials by highway. For more specific requirements, carriers and shippers should consult the most current edition of 49 CFR Parts 100-185. Motor carriers should also consult the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
• Transport Canada – Transportation of Dangerous Goods. Learn about Canada’s requirements for safe transportation of dangerous goods.

Additional Resources

The following are other potentially helpful resources maintained by various 3rd party organizations related to proper handling and disposal of EV batteries.

• ARA University. ARA University offers online training and guidance documents for automotive recyclers, providing video-based courses specific to an employee’s work to supplement your hands-on training.
• ELVS Transportation and Recycling Guidance. Provides a general explanation of certain laws related to recycling and transportation of high-voltage batteries.
• Electrical Safety Practices Developed for Automotive Lithium Ion Battery Dismantlement. ORNL is developing electrical safety practices for handling and disassembling automotive lithium ion batteries in a research environment.
• Lithium Battery Safety Training. BCI has created a lithium battery training toolkit designed to be incorporated into companies’ onboarding programs and learning management systems (LMS). The toolkit includes a video, poster and flyer, each developed to aid lead battery sorters and handlers in identifying lithium batteries.
• NFPA Emergency Field Guide. This free guide covers the vital aspects of electric, hybrid, fuel cell, and gaseous fuel hazard awareness and procedures — including information from related NFPA codes, OEMs and new consistent Moditech Rescue Solutions® vehicle diagrams.

Other Potential Sources of Information

• ReCell Center
• Automotive Recyclers Association
• Battery Council International
• Call2Recycle
• Global Battery Alliance
• Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries
• NAATBatt
• Responsible Battery Coalition
• SAE International 
• US Advanced Battery Consortium