The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced more than $192 million in funding to improve battery recycling technologies throughout the U.S. To date, the Biden Administration has pledged almost $3 billion towards domestic battery manufacturing and recycling efforts.

Some of the money will go towards the DOE’s Consumer Electronics Battery Recycling, Reprocessing and Battery Collection program which develops education and behavioral campaigns to increase participation in existing battery recycling initiatives, improves the economics of recycling consumer electronics to bolster market demands, assists state and local agencies in establishing battery collection/recycling processes and helps retailers implement programs to collect sort, store and transport batteries that come from consumer electronics.

The funding will also support the creation of an Advanced Battery Research and Development (R&D) Consortium, which will advance R&D relevant to the needs of electric vehicle manufacturers, allowing them to further develop the country’s domestic battery supply chain.

The last part of this funding round will go towards the Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize program, a plan established in 2019 that rewards companies for coming up with new ways to collect, sort, store and transport discarded ion batteries. Thanks to the round of funding, the DOE will be able to launch a new Breakthrough Contest in order to promote the development of new battery recycling solutions across the country.

“The United States is leading the way in developing advanced battery technologies that will power our clean energy future and boost our global competitiveness,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. “Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, these investments in battery production and recycling will ensure the U.S. has a secure and sustainable domestic supply chain and strengthens our economy.”