Battery Scrap Just Got a Powerful New Buyer

Glencore and Metallium finalized a binding feedstock and offtake agreement in January 2026, advancing US battery recycling at commercial scale.

30 Jun 2026

A binding deal signed in January 2026 is pushing lithium-ion battery recovery in the United States toward commercial reality. Glencore and Metallium finalized a feedstock supply and metal offtake agreement on January 5, securing 2,400 tonnes per year of electronic scrap for Metallium's Flash Joule Heating plant in Texas. Glencore will buy up to 75% of the recovered output. That single commitment gives Metallium something most young recyclers lack: a guaranteed buyer.

The agreement builds on an MOU signed just three months earlier, in October 2025. Few partnerships in the battery materials sector move from memorandum to binding contract that fast. For Metallium, the deal marks a turn from development-stage promise into full-scale operation, and reliable feedstock is exactly what makes that turn possible.

Michael Walshe, Metallium's managing director and CEO, said the agreement delivers the consistent, high-quality feedstock the company needs to commission and scale its operations, and that it places Metallium alongside one of the world's most influential recycling players. Coming from a company with Glencore's global reach, that kind of validation carries weight. Investors and competitors alike are watching closely.

The implications extend well past the boardroom. This deal shows that domestic battery recycling can now handle real industrial volume, not just pilot-scale runs. Recovered materials flowing back into production should ease pressure on raw material costs and reduce reliance on freshly mined supply, a shift that ultimately reaches consumers.

US battery demand is set to surge over the next decade. Deals like this one, quietly and methodically, are building the infrastructure that a more circular, resilient supply chain will eventually depend on.