Gopher Resource Celebrates the “Sustainable Power of Recycling” on America Recycles Day

November 15 is an important day that’s typically not on the public’s radar. But it should be. It’s America Recycles Day, a time to highlight the importance of recycling and its critical role in preserving our environment, conserving natural resources and building a sustainable future.

At Gopher Resource, it’s a day to celebrate the people – our employees and others in our industry – who help make lead battery recycling such an extraordinary success. Collectively, the benefits of lead battery recycling are truly profound.

Gopher Resource: Helping the World Achieve a Safer, More Sustainable Future

Gopher Resource started recycling batteries over 75 years ago and has grown into a leading national environmental solution provider with global impact. Today, we serve customers and the community, foremost, through the recycling of lead batteries (lead, plastic, electrolyte) and select household waste in a safe, sustainable manner.

Our work has helped to create and sustain an impressive 99% recycling rate for lead batteries in the U.S., the highest for any consumer product. Gopher Resource alone recycles more than 22 million used batteries annually, ensuring its materials are reclaimed, recycled and used again in new battery manufacturing or for other applications. That work supports hundreds of green jobs in our communities.

Here are highlights of the good work we do:

• Process and recycle spent automotive, stationary and industrial lead batteries
• Sort, process and recycle other lead-bearing materials
• Process and recycle plastic through our subsidiary, Resource Plastics
• Operate The Recycle Zone, a household hazardous waste facility in Dakota County, Minnesota
• Support our communities through numerous ongoing financial and volunteer efforts

Why Is Lead Battery Recycling So Important?

Gopher Resource’s lead battery recycling process captures critical materials that enable batteries to be manufactured domestically. Those batteries contribute significantly to our economy, energy security and our everyday lives.

Here are some key facts:

Protects the environment.

The success of lead battery recycling in the U.S. is driven by a nationwide commitment among manufacturers, retailers, recyclers and government agencies to create accessible recycling channels for consumers and businesses. With over 300,000 drop-off locations nationwide, recycling is convenient and readily available.

This extensive network enables Americans to recycle their spent batteries responsibly, helping prevent hazardous waste and keeping valuable materials in circulation.

In addition, Gopher Resource is at the forefront of using continuous innovation to recycle those lead batteries sustainably. Our patent-pending Slag Cleaning and Recovery of Useful Metals (SCRUM) process will reduce our solid waste stream to landfills by 99% and economically recover useful metals from lead blast furnace slag. The ability to do so in a safe and economically feasible way is an industry first.

Creates thousands of green jobs.

A recent industry study said the U.S. lead battery industry, including its recyclers, is a major source of job creation across 38 states, supporting over 121,000 high-paying manufacturing jobs in every major region of the country. Gopher Resource provides over 600 green jobs at its facilities in Minnesota and Florida.

Ensures the availability of essential resources for domestic battery manufacturing.

The work of Gopher Resource is also helping to shore-up national security. The sustainable recycling process for lead batteries ensures a reliable domestic supply chain of materials that can be continuously returned to the battery manufacturing cycle.

Lead batteries are designed and engineered to be broken down and recycled so nearly every component of a lead battery can be recovered and reused, creating a fully sustainable cycle. For example, 100% of the plastic in lead battery casings is recyclable, reducing plastic pollution. In addition,  U.S. lead battery recyclers, like Gopher Resource, meet approximately 59% of the country’s demand for lead, exemplifying a closed-loop, sustainable approach.

Watch The Journey of a Lead Battery in the Newly Released Circular Economy Video

Without question, the lead battery industry is a powerful circular economy that enables continuous sustainable manufacturing in the U.S. We invite you to watch the incredible journey of a lead battery in this new video from the Association of Battery Recyclers (ABR): "Circular Economy Spotlight: The Sustainable Life of Lead Batteries".  

We Need Lead Batteries

Lead batteries are critical power sources that keep our everyday lives on track. Through the sustainable power of recycling, Gopher Resource is keeping the power of lead batteries available to numerous sectors, from automotive and renewable energy storage to backup power for essential facilities such as hospitals and data centers.

As the second-largest market in the global rechargeable battery industry, lead batteries will continue to play a key role in meeting growing energy demands.

Celebrate the Power – and People – of Recycling

This America Recycles Day, join us in celebrating the power of recycling. Let’s also thank the people behind recycling, especially Gopher Resource employees for their role in the extraordinary mission of helping lead batteries sustain a 99% recycling rate. We welcome you to visit Our People -- Our Greatest Asset on our website.