ABSTRACT

I. Recycling of Lead from Batteries Nearly 71 % of the lead produced today is consumed in the production of batteries [372]. Fortunately, for the benefit of the lead industry and environmental protection, batteries are now completely recyclable [373]. Because of the complications involved in determining recovery rates, detailed calculations of recovery rates are not available. Recovery rates of industrial batteries are nearly 100%, whereas the recovery rates for consumer batteries is somewhat less. Conservative estimates suggested a 98% recovery rates in the United States in 1990. Recovery rates in Europe were higher than 85% in 1993. These rates have steadily increased with improvements in collection schemes for spent batteries, and today, nearly 100% of batteries are recycled and, as mentioned in Chapter 1, more than 50% of lead produced in the world comes from recycled lead. Lead is probably the most recycled element today. Besides Pb and PbO, the plastic cases and other material are also recycled.