While most people don’t think about what happens to used batteries after they are removed from their cars, responsible battery recycling is at the heart of Ecobat’s City of Industry operations. Ecobat utilizes state-of-the-art technology and a highly trained workforce to recycle lead-acid batteries responsibly.

Most of Ecobat’s employees are members of Teamsters Local 986. The Teamsters are proud of our role in all the good things Ecobat does to ensure batteries are recycled without harm to the environment, employees, or the communities in which we live and work. The Teamsters at Ecobat run the world’s cleanest lead acid battery recycling facility. In recent years, Ecobat has made over $50 million in investments in plant safety and upgrades, in most cases exceeding environmental or regulatory mandates already the strictest in the world. Ecobat’s commitment to worker safety and success has been instrumental in its achievements, demonstrating that workers are at the heart of its success. Moreover, the company has created generations of good union jobs, contributing to the long-term economic stability of the community.

The facility recycles more than 98% of customers’ products—a higher recycling rate than almost any other industrial recycling process. While the majority are car batteries, Ecobat also recycles batteries from other businesses that have lead products to dispose of.

Ecobat provides a critical service to Californians as the only in-state recycler of car batteries, annually keeping 10 million spent batteries out of landfills. Without Ecobat, spent batteries would end up in landfills or be exported to places like China, India, or Mexico, which have significantly less stringent environmental standards.

With Teamster’s support, Ecobat has conducted years of public engagement and outreach in and around the facility in a good-faith effort to remain transparent about every aspect of Ecobat’s recycling process. We will continue to invite the public, including Ecobat’s opponents, to help educate the community about Ecobat’s operations and the extensive environmental control equipment Ecobat deploys at the facility.

Now, Ecobat has begun the process of renewing its operating permit with the CA Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).  It is a public process with an unprecedented 120-day public comment period which started July 16 and concludes November 18.  There were two public hearings, the first of which was on September 14 in Hacienda Heights and the second one was on October 23 in La Puente, where the community and other stakeholders had the ability to provide input.

The Teamsters are proud to be a part of the Ecobat team that continues to invest heavily in the community, facility upgrades, and worker health and safety training. Keeping lead out of the environment and safely available for productive uses is Ecobat’s highest priority in California.

Many of Ecobat’s Teamsters have worked at the plant for decades. Their families and hundreds of other Ecobat employees like them have been a part of the fabric of the community for more than sixty years, purchasing homes, paying taxes, and spending their hard-earned money at local car dealers, grocery stores, and restaurants. But opponents don’t care about their contributions to our community, jobs, or families; they want us out.

Chris Griswold is the principal officer of Teamsters Local 986. He leads one of the largest local unions in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, with over 18,500 members in five western states.

Ecobat Investment in Technology and STEM Education Go Hand in Hand

Ecobat’s battery recycling facility in the City of Industry safely recycles 10 million car batteries a year and is the only facility of its kind in the western United States. Most people would never know it’s there. And most certainly don’t know that its 98% recycling rate is the highest of any industrial recycling process. That’s just a few of the things we have learned in our time working shoulder to shoulder with Ecobat employees.

Advanced technologies, such as those in use at the Ecobat recycling facility, often seem complex. Demystifying the lead recycling process and helping train future engineers and scientists align at Ecobat’s City of Industry facility; where their state-of-the-art equipment and highly skilled and trained workers quietly transforms old batteries into ingots and alloys, that are then turned into lead-based products and components that play a critical role in supporting the transition to clean energy.

Investment in the Community

Ecobat’s roots run deep in the community. Ecobat’s long-standing commitment to fostering the next generation of scientists and engineers through the funding of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educational initiatives and programs in the local community demonstrates the positive impact the company has on the community.

STEM teaches critical thinking and innovation and develops habits that will help students succeed in any field. The focus on logical thought processes and problem-solving allows students to develop mental habits that will help them succeed in any field. STEM coursework challenges students to think critically and come up with their own solutions.

For example, Ecobat’s partnership with the Youth Science Center has played a transformative role in the lives of local students who learn that science isn’t confined to textbooks. And Ecobat sponsors after-school programs and STEM related activities at the Boys and Girls Club so that the Club can provide a safe haven for kids along with opportunities to explore science careers. Ecobat has literally opened its doors to us, providing resources, meeting space, and funding. They are a great community partner.

Ecobat’s Environmental Commitment

Ecobat’s facility is a testament to environmental innovation. Its industry-leading, state of the art environmental control equipment works to ensure that Ecobat’s operations do not adversely impact the environment. Ecobat has invested over $50 million to date in health and safety measures to protect the community, workers, and the environment. Their workforce thrives in a culture that prioritizes safety, while protecting the environment.

Closing Thoughts: The Future of Ecobat’s COI Facility

Why are we sharing this information? Ecobat is in the process of renewing its operating permit with the CA Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).  It is a public process during which members of the community will have the opportunity to provide input on the future of the facility and its employees, which we strongly encourage.  We have had a long and productive working relationship with the company and its employees and hope that continues into the foreseeable future.