Retriev Technologies - Lancaster

For nearly 30 years, we’ve built our reputation as leaders in battery recycling and management. In business since 1984, Retriev Technologies (formerly Toxco Inc.) has grown to become the most diverse battery recycling company in the world. Headquartered in Anaheim, CA, our core business focus is on recycling all types of batteries and battery chemistries. In addition, we provide recycling programs for the electronics and automotive industries, and we’re conversant at closed loop practices for metals, precious metals, and a variety of other reusable materials.

Retriev’s processes are all based on proprietary technologies for environmentally safe materials recovery. Retriev’s facilities are approved, permitted, and operated under strict guidelines from environmental protection agencies in both the U.S. and Canada. We pride ourselves on being the ultimate downstream recycler, providing a single solution for the recycling and tracking of our customer’s used batteries.

We are respected and trusted all over the globe for our recycling expertise and high level of compliance. We’re also knowledgeable about international shipping regulations and requirements, holding ourselves to the same high standard of eco-friendly practices and precautions internationally, as domestically.

Today, as the most knowledgeable and diverse battery recycling company in the world, we’re moving forward to meet the growing demand for custom recycling solutions. Our stellar track record in research and development, supreme client service for a wide range of industries, and the highest level of environmental compliance demonstrates our unwavering commitment to best recycling practices. Todays’ cutting edge corporations, government entities and consumers trust Retriev Technologies for our environmentally friendly battery and hazardous waste management services.

The Lancaster, OH recycling facility is where all consumer and industrial NiCad, NiMH and Lead Acid batteries will be processed.  In addition, this facility regularly manages and demanufactures hybrid and electric vehicle batteries.

The Lancaster facility maintains a Part B TSDF permit, issued by the Federal and Ohio EPAs, authoriziing the facility to manage all battery types and to process for metal reclamation NiCad, NiMH, Lead Acid, and Li-Ion batteries.

Lancaster is the future home to the advanced large format battery recycling lines, which are being built-out using $9.5 million in matching funds awarded by the Department of Energy to promote sustainable hybrid and EV batteries.

Mission and IMS Policy

Retriev Technologies is dedicated to pursuing and demonstrating our unwavering commitment to best recycling practices and closed loop materials recovery and management. As the most diverse recycling organization in the world, the Retriev team, together with our international parent companies, is moving forward to meet emerging global trends and to communicate our vision and blueprint for the future.

In the coming years, innovations in technology and energy sources will continue to change and evolve more and more rapidly. With unmatched experience, and our stellar track record in R&D, process, people, permits and the highest level of integrity and environmental compliance, Retriev is dedicated to leading the way with sustainable, resource saving solutions that are routinely and dimensionally different. Retriev excels at delivering cut to fit battery management programs for a wide range of consumers, municipalities, government contractors and industries.Our goal is to help improve your bottom line, environmentally, socially, and economically.

IMS Policy

We believe that protecting the environment, and providing a safe workplace for our employees, customers, and visitors is a responsibility shared by management and employees alike. We invest heavily in rigorous education and training programs, and our Health & Safety and Compliance teams are constantly refining and improving safety protocols to ensure the integrity of our work, the environment, and most importantly, our human resources.

Retriev sees no conflict between our role of providing quality products and recycling services, and our responsibility for environmental compliance regulations and a safe workplace. This commitment extends beyond our recycling plants and employee base, and into our communities. Retriev is committed to the continuous improvement of Integrated Environmental and Health & Safety Management Systems that promote compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulatory requirements for all disciplines.

Retriev’s approach to IMS (Integrated Management Systems) is to focus on creating a safe work environment, while maintaining and exceeding compliance with applicable environmental regulations. We have developed and implemented a dynamic program for continually improving EH&S compliance and performance. With a baseline for EH&S standards, we then identify goals and targets for a continued process of measurement, correction, enhancement based on a finite set of disciplines:

• Define responsibility and assign accountability
• Employee safety and environmental compliance training
• Routine environmental risk assessments
• Routine workplace safety assessments
• Frequent compliance checks
• System assessments
• Implement recommendations and corrective actions regularly
• Highest level of protocol to prevent injury and illness in the workplace
• Pollution prevention disciplines for both our facilities and the surrounding communities

Retriev relies heavily on these essential disciplines and safety measures to ensure that our managers and employees understand all of our compliance obligations, and that appropriate resources are available to implement and sustain the highest level of compliance.  We require that all employees follow the procedures established by the IMS, Integrated Management System, which defines our continual process for recognizing, managing, and mitigating environmental impacts, preventing injury and illness, and developing a safety culture for achieving and managing sustainable compliance.

Recycling Technology

Unique in our ability to provide end-of-life solutions for all commercial battery chemistries, Retriev Technologies has developed innovative and proprietary technologies specifically tailored to provide the safest and most environmentally friendly process to recycle your used batteries.

Battery Services

Rapid advancements in technology have created new and emerging needs for energy from all types of batteries. Applications for batteries are ever expanding, requiring recycling technology to stay on the cutting edge in order to keep pace. Retriev Technologies maintains that edge, providing innovative services for a number of battery applications.

Lead Acid

The recycling of Lead Acid batteries requires the recovery of the lead and the treatment of the sulfuric acid electrolyte. We have various methods for performing these two basic functions, all of which are performed on-site and all of which have been permitted by the U.S. EPA and local authorities.

Not just any company can use our recovery techniques. Lead Acid batteries have been classified as a Hazardous Waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Consequently, only facilities that have been permitted by the EPA after a thorough review process (sometimes taking years to complete) can legally manage these batteries on-site. This review and permitting process, which Retriev has undergone and completed, ensures your batteries are being handled by a company with the knowledge and technology necessary to properly store, treat and track the hazardous components involved.

An automated recycling process, known as a battery breaker, is used to recover the various components of a lead acid battery. The batteries are fed by conveyor to a high-impact crusher, which is enclosed to prevent the escape of fugitive lead emissions. The crusher effectively separates all the battery components and then uses various material separation techniques to produce clean streams of raw materials for use in new products.

In addition, we have a manual line for accomplishing the physical disassembly of the battery components into clean streams of raw materials. This manual line is instrumental for certain consumers that prefer lead plate over the crushed lead produced by the automated breaker.

Whether processed through our automated or manual line, the same components will be generated: lead product, battery casing (plastic or steel), and sulfuric acid. The lead product is shipped to EPA approved secondary smelters and will be converted into pure lead ingot for reuse in new batteries. Likewise, the battery casing will be shipped to various plastic and steel recyclers for reuse in new products. Finally, the sulfuric acid will be treated on-site and discharged in accordance with facility permits and treatment requirements.

Lithium Ion

Historically, Li-Ion batteries have been composed of a cobalt-based constituents, which allowed for the recovery of significant value in the recycling process. However, recent trends towards reducing the costs of battery manufacturing, as well as optimizing batteries for greater safety, durability, and power output, have lead battery manufacturers to use non-cobalt based constituents. Such constituents include Iron Phosphate, Manganese Spinel, and Nickel Manganese.

Regardless of the chemistry, we can manage your batteries through a single recycling process. We have been recycling lithium batteries for over 20 years and have processed over 25 million pounds.

Larger battery packs, such as those from hybrid and electric vehicles, first go through a manual disassembly process. Here, one of our skilled technicians will carefully dismantle the pack, separating assembly pieces and circuitry from the actual battery cells. Such disassembly must be done with the utmost care, as a large battery packs contain enough energy to seriously injure those who attempt this process without the proper equipment or training. That's why large generators depend on us to recycle these large format batteries.

Separated cells and smaller packs (i.e. laptop, power tool, and cell phone) are then fed by conveyor to an automated crusher. This crusher, which operates under a liquid solution to prevent fugitive emissions and to reduce the reactivity of processed batteries, produces three types of materials:metal solids, metal-enriched liquid, and plastic fluff.

The metal solids may contain various amounts of copper, aluminum, and cobalt (depending on the type of Li-Ion battery processed), which can all be used as raw materials in new products. The metal-enriched liquid is solidified using filtering technology, and is sent off-site for further metal purification.

NiCad & NiMH
The recycling of NiCad and NiMH requires the recovery of the valuable Nickel components and the capture of all other hazardous elements of the batteries. We have various methods for performing these two basic functions, all of which are performed on-site and all of which have been permitted by the U.S. EPA and local authorities.

Our primary method of recycling involves a pyrometallurgical process for component separation. Through this process NiCad and NiMH batteries are heated to a temperature that enables the recovery of cadmium and the removal of battery separator materials. All components are captured using engineered environmental controls. The resulting materials consist of cadmium ingots and a nickel-enriched iron material that can be reused as a raw material in many applications, including stainless steel production.

Our process has been classified by the EPA as the Best Demonstrated Available Technology (BDAT) for cadmium recovery.In addition, we have a manual line for accomplishing the physical disassembly of large format, industrial-type NiCad and NiMH batteries. The physical disassembly involves the separation and consolidation of battery anode and cathode plates into various products streams, which will be sent onto additional metal refining.

Other Services

Retriev offers so much more than battery recycling services. We pride ourselves on making sure that all the details are handled from the paperwork to the permits, safely and efficiently, with best environmental practices. We also provide a number of complimentary services that set us apart from the competition when it comes to our ability to provide a comprehensive solution to any and all issues related to proper battery and scrap management.

We can assist with the movement of waste batteries to our recycling facilities from any location throughout the world. Working with our customers and partners in regions as diverse as Siberia, Venezuela, Israel, Korea and India (to name just a few), our reach is vast and our expertise is unmatched, anywhere in the world.

Further, we have the ability to work directly with battery manufacturers to reduce costs and to promote greater environmental standards in the management of scrap from the production process.We’re truly involved at every level of the life of a battery, and this is what makes Retriev unique.

Production Scrap

We recognize that not every production process can be 100% efficient.  Invariably, there is bound to be off-spec materials produced or assembly line trimmings that will never make it to the final consumer.  We can help manage this production scrap by providing a recycling solution that can recover and reclaim important materials for certified destruction, and in some cases even reuse materials back in the production process.