A Record Year for U.S. Battery Recycling: 9.3 Million Pounds in The Battery Network’s 2025 Impact Report

The largest battery collection network in the United States — the 30-plus-year-old Call2Recycle — is now operating as The Battery Network, and the rebrand coincides with a record year. According to the organization’s newly released 2025 Impact Report, more than 9.3 million pounds (roughly 4,200 tonnes) of batteries were collected in a single year, the network expanded by 3,195 new collection sites, and a new safety standard was set for handling lithium-ion batteries. The report is a good opportunity to examine what the American, voluntarily organized collection system does differently — and what a Hungary moving toward mandatory EU regulation can learn from it.

Call2Recycle is now The Battery Network

After more than three decades, Call2Recycle is continuing its work under a new name from 2026: The Battery Network. The report stresses that this is not a simple brand refresh. The organization’s role has broadened from a straightforward battery collector into a coordinator spanning the entire North American battery lifecycle. Today it covers producer stewardship programs, safety solutions, collection, recycling and responsible battery management alike.

The headline message: “New name. Same mission. Broader impact.” The organization is led by President and CEO Leo Raudys; the report also honors Chip Wildes, who passed away in 2025 and who had shaped the organization as a founding board member since 1994 (including a term as co-CEO).

The numbers: how much was collected in 2025?

The key 2025 metrics paint a picture of a mature, nationwide system:

• 9.3 million pounds+ of batteries collected in total
• 9.2 million pounds+ of household batteries, of which 6.4 million pounds+ rechargeable and 2.8 million pounds+ single-use (primary) cells
• 3,195 new collection sites, bringing the network past 20,000 collection points
• 31 new stewards (obligated producers) joined, taking total participants past 250
• 80% of the U.S. population lives within 15 miles (about 24 km) of a collection site
• 20 downstream recycling partners (7 sorting and 13 processing) make up the treatment chain

The breakdown by chemistry clearly shows how the market is shifting: lithium-ion batteries made up by far the largest mass (close to 4 million pounds), ahead of single-use primary batteries (~2.8 million pounds). Behind them came small sealed lead-acid (SSLA), nickel-cadmium (NiCd) and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) cells. The trend is familiar: as lithium takes over portable electronics and micromobility, the center of gravity of collection shifts toward the higher-risk, more fire-prone chemistries.

Five pillars: how the system is built

The Battery Network organizes its activity around five brand pillars, and the report itself follows this logic.

Stewardship — the engine of extended producer responsibility

Momentum for extended producer responsibility (EPR) continued to build in the United States in 2025: more states expanded their battery stewardship legislation and prepared to launch programs. The organization’s interactive map splits states into operational programs and programs in development — the East Coast and California lead the way. This is the most interesting takeaway for a Hungarian reader: in the U.S., EPR is built state by state, in a mosaic, rather than being prescribed uniformly by a single federal regulation.

Collections — access is the key

Collection is the backbone of the system. Behind the 2025 expansion (3,195 new sites) stand several channels: retail drop-off, mail-back services, and customized takeback programs tailored for high-volume partners. Behind the scenes, the automation of the customer portal set the stage for the system’s 2026 relaunch under the name Collection Hub.

Education — awareness as fire prevention

The educational strand centers on preventing fires caused by lithium-ion batteries. The “Avoid the Spark” campaign highlighted the risks of improper battery disposal, while the Battery Blitz school collection contest moved more than 4,000 pounds of batteries and aimed at shaping the mindset of the younger generation. In 2025 the organization held its first joint collection events involving the National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA) and the Woodsy Owl mascot.

Solutions — built for safety

2025 was also the year of safety products: 38 new initiatives and product enhancements were launched. The flagship is the OneDrum™ collection and transport container, which won The Battery Show’s Battery Safety Technology of the Year award and whose shipment volume grew nearly 26% year over year. In addition, a record number of Lithium Ion Battery Incident Kits (LIBIK) were deployed to handle overheating and thermal runaway, and the Battery Incident Support Program’s cleanup and response capacity expanded significantly.

Innovation — the waste streams of tomorrow

The organization addresses emerging, complex waste streams through dedicated programs:

• E-bike program: 50,000 pounds of batteries collected (14% year-over-year increase), 2,400+ collection sites
• High Energy program: 60,000 pounds+, with 1,800+ trained collection sites
• Electric vehicle (EV) program: building partnerships and infrastructure for the fastest-growing, most complex stream

The financial picture: rising revenue, a qualified audit opinion

According to the attached consolidated statements, the organization’s total revenue rose to USD 37.5 million (2024: USD 32.0 million), of which fee revenue accounted for USD 34.3 million. Net assets rose to USD 23.6 million, with a change in net assets of USD 5.08 million. An important detail for the professional reader: the auditor (Smith + Howard PC) issued a qualified opinion, because revenue was not fully recognized in line with FASB ASU 2014-08 (Topic 606) — though, per the report, this does not affect the substantive financial position.

The Hungarian angle: a mandatory EU framework where the U.S. builds a voluntary mosaic

This is where the comparison becomes truly instructive. While in the United States battery EPR spreads state by state, from the bottom up, the European Union — and thus Hungary — has operated since 2024 within a unified, mandatory legal framework through Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries, which replaced the earlier 2006/66/EC directive.

The EU regulation sets concrete, quantified collection targets:

• portable batteries: 63% by the end of 2027, then 73% from 2030
• LMT (light means of transport, e.g. e-bikes, e-scooters) batteries: 51% by 2028, 61% from 2031
• material recovery and lithium recovery targets, plus a digital battery passport from 2027 for industrial, EV and LMT batteries

In Hungary, practical implementation is organized by the concession company MOHU MOL Hulladékgazdálkodási Zrt. within the EPR system, with the legal basis provided by Government Decree 445/2012 (XII. 29.), which was aligned with the EU regulation in 2025.

What can Hungarian practice adopt from the American model? Three points stand out:

1. Access is the key to collection rates. A coverage metric such as “80% of the population within 15 miles” is easy to measure and communicate. To meet the 73% EU target, Hungary too will be decided by collection-point density and the convenience of drop-off.
2. Fire safety is already a priority today. Because of lithium’s dominance, OneDrum-type safe collection and transport equipment and incident-response kits are increasingly urgent here as well — especially for the stream of e-scooter and e-bike batteries that ends up illegally and dangerously in municipal waste.
3. Education is an investment that pays off. Campaigns like “Avoid the Spark” and Battery Blitz show that shaping public awareness directly reduces the fire risk arising from improper disposal.

FAQ

What is The Battery Network? The new name (from 2026) of Call2Recycle, formerly the largest voluntary battery collection organization in the United States. It has been involved in battery collection for more than 30 years and today offers stewardship, safety and recycling solutions spanning the entire North American battery lifecycle.

How many batteries were collected in 2025? More than 9.3 million pounds in total (about 4,200 tonnes), of which 9.2 million pounds+ were household batteries.

Which battery type made up the most? By mass, lithium-ion batteries, at close to 4 million pounds, ahead of single-use primary batteries.

Do the same rules apply to Hungary? Not directly — the American system is voluntary and varies from state to state. In Hungary, Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 and Government Decree 445/2012 are the governing framework, with implementation coordinated by MOHU.

What is OneDrum and why does it matter? A safe battery collection and transport container that won The Battery Show’s “Battery Safety Technology of the Year” award in 2025. It is designed to reduce thermal runaway and in-transit fire risk — an increasingly relevant solution as lithium spreads.

Conclusion

The Battery Network’s 2025 report documents a record year for a well-functioning, voluntary system: an expanding network, a record collected volume, and award-winning safety innovation. From a Hungarian perspective, the most compelling lesson is the clash of two logics — the American market builds from the bottom up, state by state, while the EU steers from the top down with mandatory targets. The common denominator is the same, though: in the age of lithium, access, fire safety and awareness will decide whether batteries can be pulled out of the waste stream — and Hungary must hit 63% by 2027 and 73% by 2030.

Sources:

• The Battery Network (formerly Call2Recycle): 2025 Impact Report (primary source for this article)
• EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 on batteries and waste batteries — summary and targets
• Government Decree 445/2012 (XII. 29.) on waste management activities related to battery and accumulator waste (net.jogtar.hu)
• MOHU MOL Hulladékgazdálkodási Zrt. — Portable batteries and accumulators (mohu.hu)
• HVG / Telex (June 2025): the proposed amendment to battery waste EPR rules
• Economx (September 2025): the Hungarian Battery Association’s expert view on the EU framework