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Smart bin makes recycling old batteries and gadgets idiot-proof. Redwood Materials' new smart recycling bins can detect, sort and pack old batteries and gadgets with minimal human intervention. Reno Gazette Journal April 3, 2026, 5:45 a.m. PT A white metal bin stood across the register at Carter Brothers Ace Hardware in Reno's Midtown District, its white exterior standing out in a sea of black, red and yellow merchandise. Its distinct color isn't the only thing different about the bin. Unlike the assortment of new tools that fill the store's aisles, the bin is meant for items at the end of their life - lithium batteries, to be more specific. Chadd Bunker, a Carter Brothers employee, likes how easy the bin is to use. "These bins are fabulous," said Bunker. "If you've got batteries or old recyclable stuff, you can just throw them in this bin." The new bin is also different from the one that the store used for the last three years, according to Bunker. For starters, it's a "smart" recycling bin equipped with sensors that keep track of data like the volume of its contents. It can also sort and prepare items for shipment, reducing the amount of labor needed. It also accommodates a wide range of batteries and gadgets seen in everyday consumer use. It's one of several smart recycling bins planned in the state as part of a joint venture between the Nevada Tech Hub at the University of Nevada, Reno, and Redwood Materials. The goal? To ensure lithium batteries re-enter Nevada's lithium supply chain instead of ending up wasted - literally - at landfills. Increased use of electronics makes easy recycling even more important. Recycling is a need that becomes even more important with each day as the use of lithium-powered devices continues to grow among consumers. From smartphones and tablets to rechargeable toothbrushes, the range of devices that use lithium has exploded, and so has the need to dispose of them properly. One of the challenges is that lithium battery disposal is easier said than done. What can I recycle? Do I have to take the battery out? What about devices that don't allow you to remove batteries easily? Do I have to bag them? Where can I take them? Those are exactly the kinds of questions that the new smart bins hope to answer. By taking out the complicated parts about lithium recycling out of the equation, proponents of the new smart bins hope to make the process as easy as possible. In addition to lithium batteries, you can deposit gadgets like old smartphones, tablets, cordless tool battery packs and, yes, electric toothbrushes with the battery still inside. "So rechargeable devices, rechargeable batteries - they can go in there," said Tricia Dutcher, policy and consumer program manager for Redwood Materials. "It's convenient for the public because they don't have to tape the terminals or bag the batteries. They can just throw them in and it will collect them." The bin makes things easier for those who take out the items as well. The smart bin will actually prepare the batteries and gadgets for shipping. "It will automatically package them safely with a material that is a fire suppressant so we can pull the drum out and ship it straight to be sorted without any extra steps in between," Dutcher said. The bin is also designed to accommodate all household batteries so consumers don't have to worry if the item they bring in is accepted or not. Ideally, you wouldn't be something as large as a car battery. Anything else is fair game, though, including batteries that Redwood Materials can't process. "Redwood Materials actually recycles nickel metal hydride and lithium-based chemistries," Dutcher said. "But any of the other batteries we get are sorted out and sent to a downstream recycling partner." E-waste generation expected to surge even more in the U.S. and globally. Nevada Tech Hub calls the program a perfect fit for the Nevada Lithium Loop initiative, a key component in turning the state into a player in the new energy space. The loop is akin to a virtuous circle for lithium. It involves mining and producing lithium in Nevada mines, then having it manufactured into batteries in Nevada facilities such as the Tesla Gigafactory and then having lithium recycled in Nevada by a company like Redwood Materials so it can return to the supply chain. Although it's called the lithium loop, the principle also applies to other critical materials, according to Jennifer Ott, deputy director of the Nevada Tech Hub. It's especially important to have consumers involved in the process, Ott said. The new smart recycling bins is one way to do that. "There's a lot of activity happening in Nevada here today, and it's really important that the community is involved," Ott said. "(The smart bins are) a really great way for the community to be involved in economic development and the business sector by providing batteries that they've already used." The program is starting out with a couple of locations in Washoe County, including another one at the Washoe County administrative office. The goal is to eventually have 10 in the area by the end of the year and 20 statewide, which are being funded by Nevada Tech Hub. Getting those critical materials from consumer electronics is a big deal, according to Ott. Redwood Materials' process, for example, can recover 95% of the materials from the items they recycle, which can go straight back to the supply chain. Recycling helps reduce the United States' reliance on foreign sources of lithium and other materials, an issue that has been identified as a national security concern by the Biden and Trump administrations. It is one reason why the Biden administration named the Nevada Lithium Loop as one of 31 regional tech hubs in 2023. The Trump administration has also been fast-tracking lithium projects in the state. Environmental concerns also remain an important part of recycling efforts, Dutcher noted. The United States, for example, generates about 6.9 million tons of e-waste each year, according to U.S. PIRG, also known as the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. By 2030, the World Economic Forum also projects that 81.6 million tons of e-waste will be generated annually worldwide. "The cordless vacuum cleaners, the cordless tools, those toys, the drones that the kids have, the drones that the parents have, all of those have batteries in them," Dutcher said. "If it's rechargeable and portable, it's going to have a battery in it and needs to be managed appropriately." "So it cannot go in the waste stream with the rest of your curbside materials," Dutcher added. "It needs to get recycled especially."

Ford is investing in Redwood Materials, a Nevada-based battery recycling company founded by former Tesla executive JB Straubel. The partnership aims to address potential shortages of precious metals as the automotive industry transitions to electric vehicles. Redwood can recover 95% of valuable materials from EV batteries, including nickel, cobalt, lithium and copper. Ford says locally produced battery components will reduce costs, increase supply and decrease reliance on imported materials. The companies will collaborate on collecting and disassembling used batteries from Ford EVs, as well as recycling and remanufacturing them. Ford has already announced plans to build two North American battery factories with SK Innovation starting around 2025 and expects 40% of its global sales to be fully electric by 2030.

Second-life EV batteries approved for data center microgrid expansion. Crusoe and Redwood Energy are scaling a microgrid in Sparks, Nevada, by using repurposed electric vehicle batteries and solar to supply additional modular data centers. Image: Redwood Energy Crusoe and Redwood Energy announced this week that the pair is expanding their specialized data center project located at Redwood's battery recycling campus in Sparks, Nevada. Data center developer Crusoe - which also announced a significant deal for 12 GWh of energy from iron-air energy storage maker Form Energy - has multiple approaches to its build-out of computing power. The expansion with Redwood will continue the modular approach, and Crusoe will add 20 of its Crusoe Spark modular data centers, filled with servers that likely include NVIDIA GPUs for running AI models and inferencing, to the site's existing four, bringing the total to 24 units, bringing power demand to 20 MW. To continue reading, please visit our ESS News website. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected].