Glencore’s Li-Cycle Deal Signals a New Recycling Order

Glencore’s August 2025 grab of Li-Cycle assets signals a new era where scale and balance sheets shape US battery recycling

20 Jan 2026

The US battery recycling business has been on the move all year, but one summer deal captured how fast the ground is shifting. In August 2025, Glencore finalized the acquisition of key Li-Cycle subsidiaries and assets through a court-approved process, pulling one of North America’s most recognizable recycling platforms into a much larger global operation.

This was not just another line on an M&A tracker. It signaled a new phase for an industry once defined by technical promise and startup energy. Now, financial muscle, staying power, and the ability to operate at scale are just as critical as clever chemistry.

At the heart of the deal sits Li-Cycle’s North American network and the closely watched Rochester Hub in New York. The facility has long been viewed as a potential cornerstone for large-scale battery materials recovery in the US. Under its new owner, the assets will operate as Glencore Battery Recycling, a name that makes the strategy clear. Recycling is no longer a side experiment but part of a broader metals and materials play.

The timing is no accident. Through the summer and fall of 2025, battery recycling has become a practical tool for manufacturers looking to lock in domestic supplies of critical materials. It offers insulation from mining risk, geopolitical shocks, and fragile global supply chains. At the same time, automakers and regulators are pressing harder for cleaner, more traceable battery inputs. The question has shifted from whether recycling matters to whether recyclers can deliver reliably, at volume, and under strict compliance rules.

That shift favors consolidation. Bigger operators can spend on plants, quality systems, and national logistics networks. They can also ride out swings in metal prices and evolving battery designs. Smaller players, meanwhile, face tighter margins and tougher talks as customers lean toward partners with deep pockets and proven processes.

The message is hard to miss. By late 2025, US battery recycling is growing up. Deals like Glencore’s are not just reshuffling ownership. They are redrawing the competitive map and setting new expectations for who gets to play, who can scale, and who earns trust in the emerging battery circular economy.