Lead batteries still top recycled product in US, new study shows

Lead batteries continue to be the most recycled consumer product in the US with a 99% recycling rate, according to latest analysis published by Battery Council International on July 12.

The results of the BCI National Recycling Rate Study, commissioned by BCI and prepared by Vault Consulting, show that lead batteries have maintained the outstanding recycling record they have held for a number of years.

And BCI said the industry’s strong circular economy keeps 160 million batteries from landfills annually with a “near-zero waste model of sustainability”.

By comparison, only 50% of aluminium cans in the US are recycled, along with under 40% of consumer electronics and around less than 3% of lithium ion batteries, BCI said.

Roger Miksad, president and executive director of the trade association representing the global battery manufacturing and recycling industry, said the achievement underscored its members’ unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and highlighted the industry’s enduring foothold