Industry Facts

Lead battery recycling is the most successful recycling program in the United States, with 99% of all spent lead batteries being recycled and the materials reused in new batteries.

An amazing 99% of all lead batteries in the U.S. are recycled,¹ compared to 50.4% of aluminum cans, making lead batteries the most recycled consumer product in the U.S.²  

Modern, closed-loop recycling keeps more than 160 million lead batteries from landfills each year.¹  

Lead batteries rank among the top five consumer product categories in sustainability.¹⁰

Start-stop technology using lead batteries is eliminating nearly 6.7 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually in the U.S.⁸    

Over 50% of the world's rechargeable energy storage needs, including the booming renewable energy sector's requirements, are met by efficient lead batteries.⁴ 

Lead batteries are used worldwide in virtually every hybrid and electric vehicle. They are an integral part of start-stop and micro-hybrid engine systems, which lower fuel consumption by up to 10%.⁶  

A new lead battery is typically comprised of more than 80% recycled material.⁶

The lead in lead batteries can be recycled an infinite number of times.

Lead batteries power nearly 290 million cars and trucks in the U.S.¹¹

Approximately 60% of forklifts in the U.S. contain and rely on lead batteries.³  

Lead batteries help to safely transport Americans via public transportation 34 million times each weekday.⁵   

Lead batteries are one of the dominant battery chemistries used to support a U.S. communications infrastructure worth more than $1 trillion.⁹

The global automotive industry produces nearly 70 million new vehicles annually. On average, each vehicle will use three to four lead batteries over its lifespan.⁷