{"id":42850,"date":"2024-05-27T09:51:26","date_gmt":"2024-05-27T08:51:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=42850"},"modified":"2024-05-24T15:37:41","modified_gmt":"2024-05-24T14:37:41","slug":"building-on-battery-recycling-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/building-on-battery-recycling-success\/42850\/","title":{"rendered":"Building on battery recycling success"},"content":{"rendered":"

Roger Miksad, President of Battery Council International<\/a>, explains how the path to sustainability will need to include existing battery recycling as well as the development of new batteries.<\/h2>\n

The United States is experiencing a battery-powered revolution in transportation and grid energy storage that promises enormous environmental and economic gains. Lithium-ion, advanced lead-acid, flow, sodium-ion, and emerging battery chemistries have enabled the rise of electric vehicles<\/a> (EVs) and are supercharging the transition to renewable energy sources. Continued innovation promises even greater capabilities.<\/p>\n

But with any revolution comes disruption and risk. As usage explodes, we must ensure this battery boom does not translate into a battery waste crisis.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the road to safer and more sustainable battery lifecycles has already been paved by the nation\u2019s most recycled product: The stalwart lead battery. The lead battery industry operates an unparalleled collection and recycling system. For over 30 years, lead batteries have been recycled at a nearly perfect 99% rate, far outpacing any other consumer product, according to a recent recycling rate study.<\/p>\n

This was not by accident but rather through purposeful policies and industry commitment to circularity. Lead battery recycling diverts hundreds of millions of pounds of lead and plastic from landfills annually and supplies roughly 90% of all lead used domestically for new battery production.<\/p>\n

Other battery industries should embrace and replicate lead battery recycling\u2019s core strategies of consistent labelling standards, widespread free consumer collection opportunities, prohibitions on improper disposal, and industry-funded transportation and processing networks.<\/p>\n

Adopting these policies broadly across lithium-ion and other emerging battery chemistries is essential to continued innovation. It will ensure sustainable growth of a robust domestic battery manufacturing and recycling industry rather than trading one environmental challenge for another.<\/p>\n

Building battery recycling into the foundation<\/h3>\n

The lead battery industry\u2019s recycling achievements trace directly back to forward-looking policies pursued by the industry starting in the late 1980s. Businesses recognised recycling would need to be designed into our products, manufacturing processes and collection channels \u2013 not bolted on after the fact.<\/p>\n

With encouragement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and environmental groups, battery manufacturers and recyclers found consensus on legislation that ensured collection opportunities were available wherever batteries were sold. Within a decade, nearly 40 states representing over 80% of the population enacted laws embracing these core principles:<\/p>\n