Lead-acid batteries top US recycling list

Archiv – Between 1999 and 2003, the US lead-acid battery industry was helped by consumers and retailers to reach a recycling rate 99.2% for used battery lead – equivalent to 11.7 billion pounds or 5.3 million tonnes of metal. Between 1999 and 2003, the US lead-acid battery industry was helped by consumers and retailers to reach a recycling rate 99.2% for used battery lead – equivalent to 11.7 billion pounds or 5.3 million tonnes of metal. This finding is contained in a report issued by the US Battery Council International (BCI), a not-for-profit organisation that represents the international lead-acid battery manufacturing and recycling industry.
The US lead-acid battery industry is the country’s largest user of lead and has been recycling/reclaiming the metal from its used products for nearly 75 years. According to the BCI data, lead-acid batteries remain the nation’€™s most recycled consumer product. ’This high recycling rate for battery lead proves that a workable infrastructure helps boost consumers’€™ participation in recycling,’€™ comments BCI President Randy Hart.
The recycling rate of battery lead has been consistently higher than other recyclable commodities. The US Environmental Protection Agency lists the national 2003 recycling rates of other materials as follows: steel cans 60%; paper and paperboard 48.1%; aluminium beer and soft drink cans (UBCs) 43.9%; tyres 35.6%; plastic milk bottles 31.9%; plastic soft drink containers 25.2%; and glass containers 22%.
Along with the lead and plastic from used batteries, lead-acid battery recyclers also reclaim scrap lead from the production process. In a continuous cycle, the battery industry reclaims lead and plastic for use in new batteries, thereby keeping these materials out of the waste stream.

Don't hesitate to contact us to share your input and ideas. Subscribe to the magazine or (free) newsletter.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe now and get a full digital year for just €123,50 Subscribe