The National Recycling Rate Study, commissioned by Battery Council International, has been completed for the years 2009–2013 and concluded that the recycling rate of lead available from lead-acid batteries in the United States is 99%.
When compared to the National Recycling Rate Study performed for the years 2004–2008, the 2009–2013 study saw a three percent increase in the overall recycling rate. This positive change will prove beneficial for lead-acid batteries as global energy storage continues to become an increasingly prevalent topic.
“This study shows that lead-acid batteries can pass the unwritten specifications of an increasingly environmentally-conscious culture. As the most highly recyclable lead commodity in the world, lead-acid batteries continue to solidify their place in the global energy storage marketplace,” said Mark O. Thorsby, Executive Vice-President of Battery Council International.
The national recycling rate (R) was calculated by dividing the total pounds of battery lead recycled (LR) by the total pounds of battery lead available for recycling (LA) in the United States. R = (LR/LA) x 100
New battery shipments, new battery exports, imports and exports of vehicles/products containing battery and imports and exports of scrap and used batteries were all included in calculating the total pounds of lead available for recycling.
Battery Council International
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