Global recycling day: how lead and lead batteries support green growth

One of the pressing questions for all businesses grappling with how to protect the earth’s natural resources and environment for the long term is how to embed effective recycling in our everyday lives. Truly circular economies not only save and value the earth’s resources – they nurture new business models and stimulate sustainable economic growth. That is why the lead and lead battery industries support the principles of global recycling – the end-to-end process of using and re-using resources efficiently and effectively throughout the supply chain.  Lead batteries, by far the biggest user of lead metal in diverse applications from vehicles to energy storage, are one of the world’s most recycled products. In the United States and in Europe more than 99 per cent of lead batteries are collected and recycled at end-of-life.  A new lead battery is made up of more than 80 percent recycled lead battery material, making them the lowest-impact battery technology. 

 Lead itself, a metal which has been in use since ancient times, can be infinitely recycled without diminishing its useful qualities. And today, more lead is produced via recycling than mining. To be truly circular, the entire business value chain has to support recycling principles. And these processes themselves need to be environmentally sustainable as we aim for carbon neutrality across our societies and economies.  

Policy makers and businesses must continue to work together to ensure legislation and regulation support efforts to close the loop and nurture green growth. Our planet and our people depend on it.