Lead Batteries Are Most Recycled US Product

University of Illinois Library confirms close to 90% of lead batteries are repurposed globally, so their materials have another life. Essential Energy Every Day says this means lead batteries are the most recycled US product in the consumer market. This puts the trusted product way out ahead of other battery types. This not bad for a technology 170 years young!

Why Lead Batteries Are the Most Recycled US Consumer Product

Firstly, lead batteries are good for recycling in terms of design. That’s because there are no complicated electronic circuits to unpick. Just lead sheets with additives that are easy to separate. And recyclable plastic cases containing diluted sulfuric acid both qualify for a new life too.

Lead acid battery suppliers cottoned on to recycling a while ago, before it became fashionable. They figured customers did not know what to do with spent batteries that still had value in terms of materials.

The net result is recycling old lead acid batteries became the most successful repurposing industry in the United States.

1… Recycling plants crush spent batteries into nickel size pieces.

2… Then they separate out the plastic, sulfuric acid, and lead.

3… They send the separated plastic to plastic product makers.

4… While the lead goes via purification back into the industry.

5… The sulfuric acid goes for concentration, purification and reuse.

Did You Know This Recycling Had Been Happening for a Century?

We were astounded when we learned this from Essential Energy Every Day. Lead batteries are the most recycled US product in the consumer market, thanks to a highly efficient system. Thousands of battery suppliers and a large recycling network are in a loop where very little goes to waste.

The sheer volume is amazing! In the United States alone, 99% of 130 million used lead batteries reenter the supply chain every year and this process is ongoing. This stands out as an example to all other battery manufacturers. Let’s design all our products for recycling. Make the commitment to move to the recycling culture fast.