Redwood Materials, the battery recycling company founded by Tesla co-founder JB Straubel, has introduced an automated deposit system designed to simplify the recycling of household devices that contain lithium-ion batteries, the company said.
The system, called Battery Bin, is intended to collect items such as smartphones, tablets, earbuds, power tools and other everyday electronics that often go unrecycled. Redwood said the initiative aims to remove barriers that have slowed public participation in battery recycling programs across the United States.
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According to the company, Battery Bin is a self-contained, fire-resistant unit that can be placed in retail stores, schools or municipal locations. The bin uses an automated, AI-assisted sorting system equipped with positional, infrared and ultrasonic sensors to identify and process deposited devices before they are sent to recycling facilities.
Redwood, which says it can recover more than 95% of key battery materials including lithium, cobalt and nickel, said the system is designed to operate with minimal oversight. The bin reports its status remotely and only opens its deposit chute when activated by an infrared sensor, a feature intended to reduce theft and data security risks. As the company described it, the goal is to make recycling “an effortless process” for consumers.
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The company said it is in discussions with local governments, retailers and educational institutions about deploying the Battery Bin more widely, with the longer-term aim of building a nationwide network that captures batteries that would otherwise remain unused in homes or end up in landfills.
Source: Redwood Materials