Cirba Solutions

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Cirba Solutions Launches “SustainABILITY 10,000”

Posted on by Joe Ball

Battery recycling and management company focuses its community engagement programming on one mission – to create eco-living action in communities across North America

Charlotte, N.C. (April 18, 2024) – Cirba Solutions, the premier battery recycling and management company, today announced a considerable investment in sustainable battery recycling education. A new initiative titled, “SustainABILITY 10,000,” looks to turn communities into educated eco-living experts by Cirba Solutions and its team who will commit to 10,000 hours of community engagement, sustainable practices and education in communities across North America.

The movement to live a more eco-friendly life continues to stagnate due to a lack of education about the practical steps necessary to have a positive impact on the environment and increase our sustainability footprint. A recent study by Nielsen IQ revealed that 78 percent of consumers say a sustainable lifestyle is important to them and 30 percent are more likely to purchase products with sustainable credentials. Cirba Solutions’ new initiative focuses on increasing consumer education and social awareness of battery recycling opportunities in local communities, both proven to change behavior.

“In battery recycling, we experience the gap between desire and education every day. Despite most consumers wanting to recycle batteries, many simply don’t know how or where to do it. The result is that the majority end up in the trash or landfill and are not being properly recovered following battery end-of-life,” said David Klanecky, CEO and President of Cirba Solutions. “But we also know battery recycling doesn’t stand alone. Many eco-friendly choices we as consumers would like to make don’t happen simply because of a lack of education about how to turn that desire into action. By committing 10,000 hours of education into our communities and neighborhoods, our mission is to move that needle and empower people to take action and live a more sustainable life.”

The nationwide effort will first center in the regions where Cirba Solutions operates. These include North Carolina, South Carolina, Arizona, California, Michigan, Ohio and British Columbia, Canada.

Specifically, the effort will focus on three key areas:

  • Community Education: Working in partnership with local communities, Cirba Solutions will both integrate into existing education plans, while creating new ones to help spread the word about how and where individuals can recycle batteries.
  • Community Enhancement: Leveraging the power of neighborhood connection, Cirba Solutions will provide physical and visual opportunities for programs such as battery collection events, local education opportunities and support of STEM activities.
  • Digital Advocacy: Cirba Solutions will build online resources and tools accessible to every community to share resources and activities to develop green and sustainable literacy.

SustainABILITY 10,000 will officially kick-off the weekend leading up to Earth Week 2024, when Cirba Solutions will participate in a collection event with the Detroit Zoo, as part of the GreenFest 2024 E-Recycling Event. On Saturday, April 20th and Sunday, April 21st, Cirba Solutions will help the community divert waste from local landfills by collecting batteries.

“This initiative takes what we do at Cirba Solutions every day and raises the bar, so we’re focused on delivering actionable value into communities,” said Karen Gay, Community Engagement Manager at Cirba Solutions. “Our team is passionate about making a difference and we can’t wait to continue the great work we’ve done alongside community leaders as well as create new partnerships with organizations who share our mission.”

SustainABILITY 10,000 both focuses and builds upon Cirba Solutions’ continuing commitment to its give-back culture. In 2023 alone, the end-to-end battery recycling company worked with regional organizations and various local communities to discuss safety, planning and training. Cirba Solutions also worked with and discussed sustainability practices with U.S. Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, who attended the groundbreaking ceremony of Cirba Solutions’ battery recycling facility expansion in Lancaster, Ohio, and engaged with more than a half dozen local community groups to support causes ranging from holiday toy donations to reducing hunger in regional communities.

To learn more about Cirba Solutions’ community engagement efforts, visit: www.cirbasolutions.com/our-community

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Cirba Solutions Gains Governmental Green Light

Posted on by Joe Ball

In October, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a $2.8 billion grant to supercharge U.S. battery manufacturing for electric vehicles and the electrical grid. Cirba Solutions, a Heritage family company focused on battery recycling, was one of the 21 companies awarded a portion of that grant. Here, in an interview with The Heritage Group, Shane Thompson, Strategy and Business Development for Cirba Solutions, discusses what a $75,000,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy means for the company and its future.

Tell us more about the grant.
It funds the first set of projects for President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The U.S. government is trying to set up a domestic supply chain for critical materials so the country can expand manufacturing of batteries for electric vehicles and the grid.

What does the grant mean for Cirba Solutions?
It allows us to put more dollars into our new facility in Lancaster, Ohio, which was already in the works when we won the grant. We’re planning to expand the number of minerals we recycle and enhance our ability to upgrade materials before they re-enter the battery supply chain.

How will the grant impact the future?
The fact that our new facility is being built with the full confidence of the Department of Energy will help us introduce our product in the marketplace. In addition to funding, the validation adds visibility and credibility that will make us more attractive to customers, employees and investors.

How did you win the grant?
We responded to the Department of Energy’s request for funding, which included a rigorous application process. Our strategy was to apply for half of the available funding in the battery recycling category. We built on the fact that Cirba Solutions is unique, and we have experience to back up what we do. Laura Evans, our director of environmental, social and governance (ESG), led the application process, which included a robust environmental justice questionnaire and requirements. We welcomed that. We prioritize sustainability and ESG at Cirba Solutions, and the grant was a great opportunity to highlight some of those practices.

Why is the grant important for the country?
We’re creating a circular economy and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and minerals mined in other parts of the world. Producing batteries and components in the U.S. will help advance our country’s goal to build a robust lithium-ion supply chain and meet the demand for electric vehicles.

What capabilities will you add?
Typically, in the process of collecting, disassembling, shredding and upgrading critical materials from lithium-ion batteries, we focus on nickel and cobalt. Our expansion in Ohio will allow us to add lithium and other materials to that list.

Now, when we chop up batteries and separate out materials, some parts of the battery — including lithium, carbon, manganese and aluminum — are sent to a third party for processing. In the future, we’ll run those materials, known in the industry as “black mass,” through a hydrometallurgical process at our plant. We’ll be able to keep the recycling process going and create more materials that can go back into the battery supply chain.

How does this impact The Heritage Group?
Winning the grant is something Cirba Solutions and Heritage employees should share in and feel good about. It shows that a company that got its start with The Heritage Group is betting on the right things, receiving validation at the highest level and growing, which is good for us all.