New study reveals lead batteries are the most recycled product in the U.S. with a 99% recycling rate
- Near-zero waste lead battery model supports Circular Economy and sustainability
- More than 160 million lead batteries are recycled annually in United States
A study in the United States has confirmed that lead batteries reign as the most recycled consumer product in the United States and the most sustainable battery technology with a remarkable milestone of 99% recycling rate.
The National Recycling Rate Study, commissioned by Battery Council International (BCI), was designed to calculate the recycling rate of lead available from lead batteries in the United States. The first study was conducted in 1990 but it was updated showing remarkable achievements in a five-year reporting period, 2017-2021.
Lead batteries are designed to be recycled. A lead battery’s three main components (lead, plastic, acid) are 100% recyclable. This creates the raw materials needed for new lead batteries, which are made of at least of 80% recycled material. The lead from lead batteries can be infinitely recycled with no loss of performance and nearly 70% of the lead used in a battery comes from recycling.
“The lead battery recycling rate for that period is derived by dividing the total pounds of lead batteries recycled by the total pounds of lead available for recycling in the U.S. To account for significant market disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the study averaged the BCI Recycling Rate Studies spanning the decade of 2011-2021 to derive the sustained recycling rate of 99%.”
In Europe, the EU-based lead battery value chain is proven, economically sustaining and operates in a fully closed loop embracing circular economy principles and sustainability. At their end of life, lead batteries are fully recycled and turned into the raw materials EU manufacturers need to create new lead batteries and restart the cycle of use-recycle-remanufacture.
Compared to other battery technologies, lead battery production has the lowest environmental footprint and lowest production energy and CO2 emissions. The use of recovered lead to produce new batteries is less energy intensive than using primary lead, helping to conserve the finite natural resources needed to support a growing demand for advanced lead battery technology.
Lead batteries are critical for the energy transition and a low carbon future. They are a key part of the mix of rechargeable energy storage technologies, from batteries supporting data centres, and uninterruptable power supplies in hospitals, to renewables energy storage and the auxiliary lead batteries providing safe and reliable back-up power in electric vehicles.
Overall, the National Recycling Rate Study confirms the exceptional achievements of the lead battery industry in excelling recycling processes and a circular economy for lead batteries in United States and Europe. This is particularly important during the global energy transition. It is critical to ensure production is not dependent on importation of critical raw materials to achieve the objectives associated with the Green Deal, Net-Zero and Circular Economy. Under this scenario, lead batteries are proven to be part of the solution, not the problem.