Holman Parts Distribution has been named among the 15 winners of the U.S. Department of Energy's Battery Recycling Prize based on a proposal to solve the current challenges associated with collecting, sorting, storing, and transporting discarded lithium-ion batteries for recycling.

"This recognition further validates our unwavering commitment to establishing sustainable practices which enable our industry to operate smarter, safer, and cleaner while also serving as stewards of the environment," said Anne Williams, president. "Many of our employees spent countless hours developing our proposed solution and we’re extremely excited to begin transforming our concept into a reality during Phase II of this process."

Many automotive manufacturers already have established core collection programs to collect and recycle propriety vehicle parts into other usable components. This process has been successful for decades and has significantly increased the number of automotive components that can be reused, recycled, or remanufactured, according to a release.

Holman Parts Distribution, which collects more than 1 million pieces of core each year, is proposing a comprehensive reverse logistics recycling program for all types of lithium-ion batteries that builds upon the industry's current core collection infrastructure.

The concept calls for Holman Parts Distribution to work with automotive manufacturers and dealerships across the country to build a lithium-ion battery recovery program. The company believes current core recovery practices can be leveraged to collect, transport, and recycle these batteries safely and economically.

Holman Parts Distribution's proposed solution has the potential to significantly decrease the environmental impact of improperly disposing of these batteries, reduce the cost of transporting batteries to recycling centers, and stimulate economic opportunities in the renewable energy aftermarket.

Over the course of the next year, Holman Parts Distribution will continue to flesh out the details of the initiative's strategy and develop a proof of concept for the company's proposed solution. The company plans to engage leaders from across the automotive industry to establish the initial framework of a comprehensive reverse logistics recycling program for discarded batteries and gain additional insight regarding the opportunities in the marketplace as well as the potential challenges to its proposed solution, according to Holman.