Ecobat has completed its withdrawal from lithium-ion battery recycling with the sale of its operation in Casa Grande, Arizona.
The buyer and financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction covers Ecobat’s lithium-ion recycling operations and assets at the site, which began operating in April 2024.
It completes a striking reversal in strategy. In April 2025, Ecobat said it had commissioned three lithium-ion recycling plants within 12 months and intended to increase their combined annual processing capacity from 10,000 tonnes to 25,000 tonnes.
Those plants, in Casa Grande; Darlaston, UK; and Hettstedt, Germany, have now all been sold.
Ecobat originally announced the Casa Grande development in February 2023, describing it as its first lithium-ion recycling plant in North America. The company said at the time that it expected the facility eventually to process 10,000 tonnes of material annually.
The operation sorts, shreds and separates end-of-life batteries and manufacturing scrap to produce black mass containing lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese and graphite.
Ecobat sold its Darlaston and Hettstedt businesses to Mulberry Waste Holdings earlier this year. Lancashire-based Mulberry acquired the UK operation in May before expanding into continental Europe through the purchase of Ecobat Solutions Europe in August.
The Darlaston business employs around 115 people and provides battery collection, diagnostics, dismantling and recycling services. Its lithium-ion recycling line has a target capacity of 15,000 tonnes annually.
The Hettstedt operation grew from Promesa, the German lithium-ion recycler acquired by Ecobat in 2021. It processes battery packs from electric vehicles alongside batteries from portable electronics, e-bikes and power tools.
Mulberry said combining the UK and German operations would allow it to develop an integrated European battery recycling and critical-material recovery business.
Ecobat president and CEO Tom Slabe said: “This sale completes our exit from lithium recycling and allows us to devote our full attention and resources to our core strength: operating our North American lead recycling business.
“Going forward, we will continue to pursue opportunities to maximise value for shareholders.”
The disposal is part of a broader break-up of Ecobat’s international operations. Since 2025, the company has sold its European battery distribution division to Endless, its Italian recycling business to Haiki, its French lead operations to Campine and its German and Austrian lead businesses to Clarios.
Its UK lead recycling and speciality lead operations were acquired by funds advised by Splitstone Capital.
Ecobat is now focused on three US lead and critical-mineral recovery facilities. It said these operations process millions of batteries annually and recover lead, tin and antimony for return to manufacturing supply chains.
