Battery Circularity Program

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) launched the Battery Circularity Program to improve how batteries are collected, recycled, and reprocessed across the state. The program promotes a sustainable, closed-loop approach that maximizes battery lifecycles—including electric vehicle (EV) batteries—through reuse, repurposing, and recycling, while reducing reliance on raw material mining, preventing fires, and recovering critical minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and graphite.

Specific applicant entity restrictions are not designated; the initiative fosters public-private partnerships, industry collaboration, and multi-stakeholder participation to develop infrastructure across the battery value chain in Michigan.

Eligible project scopes cover end-of-life solutions for consumer single-use batteries (such as alkaline and button cell), consumer rechargeable batteries (such as lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride), and electric vehicle batteries and large-format battery units. Program priorities include evaluating existing collection systems, addressing safety and infrastructure gaps, and advancing commercial-scale recycling and reuse solutions.

As part of this initiative, NextCycle Michigan will launch a specialized accelerator track dedicated to battery recycling solutions. Applications for the accelerator track open in Summer 2026, and prospective applicants should monitor the program webpage for detailed application guidelines, instructions, and submission procedures.