Global Recycling Day is March 18: Lead Batteries’ 99% Recycling Rate and Circularity Advance U.S. Self-Sufficiency

Association of Battery Recyclers Shares Impressive Stats, Launches New Website

Washington, D.C., March 16, 2022 – The Association of Battery Recyclers (ABR) wants to share its positive impact as Global Recycling Day on March 18 approaches. Highlights: Our nation’s established network of lead battery collection sites and lead battery recyclers has helped create a 99% recycling rate. In turn, a new lead battery is typically comprised of about 80% recycled material from used lead batteries.

“These statistics are especially relevant in this time of supply chain disruption,” said Rick Leiby, president of ABR. “The U.S. must continue to become more self-sufficient by domestically providing the raw materials needed to maintain advanced lead battery manufacturing in the U.S.”

He added, “Batteries are critical for meeting demand growth in energy storage, for vital industries such as security, data centers, electrified transportation and renewable energy.”

Facts Behind Lead Battery Recycling
ABR represents the companies and the thousands of essential employees who safely and responsibly prevent used lead batteries from going to landfills; and in turn, help promote the closed-loop battery manufacturing and recycling industries. Here are some additional industry facts from ABR:

• 130 million – The number of lead batteries typically diverted from U.S. landfills annually
• 99% recycling rate – Lead batteries are the most recycled consumer product in the U.S.
• #1 in sustainability – Lead batteries are the most sustainable battery chemistry

Circular Economy of Lead Batteries Ensures Domestic Supply Chain
Lead battery recyclers are essential to what makes the lead battery industry a model closed-loop manufacturing system. The industry’s circular economy – and the fact that lead can be infinitely recycled without loss of performance – minimizes raw inputs and promotes dependable supply chains. Today, 62% of the lead needed for a new lead battery made in the U.S. is supplied by U.S. lead battery recyclers.

“Our country’s well-established lead battery recycling system has become the standard for creating a circular economy for all battery recycling,” Leiby added. “In fact, as demand for battery energy storage continues to rise, the success of lead battery recycling is the benchmark for other technologies.”

New Website Shows How ABR Members Use the Highest Standards to Recycle
To educate people about their critical and-often-misunderstood work, ABR has launched a newly redesigned Association of Battery Recyclers website. Viewers can find fact sheets, infographics, videos and more information about the industry’s positive environmental and economic impact using the highest standards in safe, responsible recycling.

About the Association of Battery Recyclers
The Association of Battery Recyclers (ABR) is a trade association for North American lead battery recyclers. Its members proudly comply with the most stringent environmental, health and safety (EHS) standards in the world to help responsibly recycle 130 million used lead batteries annually, keeping them from landfills. ABR members supply the critical raw material needs of North American lead battery manufacturers.