How Battery Recycling Secures Essential Resources for Domestic Manufacturing

Moving Beyond the 3Rs: A Truly Circular Economy

A true circular economy requires more than just reducing, reusing, and recycling. It involves closing the loop by recovering materials once a product reaches its end-of-life stage. Industries must rethink how products are made and used in a way that intentionally minimizes waste and preserves natural resources. This can be achieved in several ways:

• Designing products that last longer
• Using fewer materials during production
• Utilizing materials that can be fully recovered at the end of their use

The lead battery industry incorporates all these principles, offering a sustainable, recyclable solution that not only supports a circular economy but also reduces environmental impact.

Lead Battery Recyclers: Critical Players in Resource Conservation

Association of Battery Recyclers (ABR) member companies play a critical role in reducing the extraction of new materials from the Earth while ensuring essential resources remain available for domestic battery manufacturing, which is vital to the U.S. economy. Domestically produced batteries are essential to day-to-day activities and critical operations. According to an economic analysis by independent research firm EBP US, the battery industry powers nearly 20% of the U.S. economy, contributing $8.1 trillion in domestic economic output and supporting nearly 48 million U.S. jobs. Notably, a new lead battery typically contains 80% recycled material, highlighting the pivotal role of recycling in sustaining this economic powerhouse.

99% of Lead Batteries are Recycled

The lead battery industry has created a strong domestic infrastructure that includes manufacturing, collection, and recycling facilities. These partnerships plus collaboration between industry and policymakers created a nationwide network of more than 300,000 collection sites, making recycling convenient for everyone. The result is an unparalleled 99% recycling rate for spent lead batteries — ensuring a steady stream of materials for manufacturing new batteries.

Sourcing Lead from Recyclers Saves Resources

While the U.S. has natural deposits of lead and a well-established, environmentally responsible mining industry, only a small portion of lead from new mining is used in batteries. In fact, 83% of the lead used by U.S. battery manufacturers is sourced from North American recyclers. Using recovered lead and plastic to produce new batteries helps conserve natural resources and requires 90% less energy than mining raw materials. Plus, lead is infinitely recyclable without any loss of future performance capacity, making it an invaluable resource for the industry.

Domestic Recycling Reduces Reliance on Foreign Countries

More than 90% of lead batteries sold in the U.S. are manufactured in North America. Using domestically sourced recycled lead, plastic and other materials to manufacture batteries significantly provides supply chain security. In contrast, other battery technologies, such as lithium-ion, rely heavily on minerals from other countries, leaving them more vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions.