battery recycling

The lead battery industry has been praised for ramping up efforts to tackle rogue recyclers— whose illegitimate activities have been linked to rising death rates in nearly 60 countries.

The president of non-profit organisation Pure Earth, Richard Fuller, told the International Lead Association’s (ILA) Pb2019 conference in Madrid “informal recyclers” were a threat to human health and posed reputational risks for the legitimate lead industry.

US lead-acid battery recycler Aqua Metals has told shareholders the company is on course for an estimated 25% increase in lead metal production after completing the first phase of a capital programme.

The company said the production increase would come from its first full production run of lead bullion from a newly commissioned third kettle— used to process the hard lead from the batteries it breaks.

A new filter press has also been installed and started up and a new centrifuge has been installed, Aqua Metals confirmed on 28 March.

Europe is being urged to overhaul regulations to ensure more lithium-ion batteries are kept in the bloc for recycling— instead of being ‘lost’ when end-of-life electric vehicles are exported to be scrapped.

The Association of European Automotive and Industrial Battery Manufacturers, Eurobat, has warned the “relative scarcity of these batteries entering the recycling stream is currently preventing the development of a business case for recyclers”.

This makes lithium-based EV batteries a net ‘taker’ of raw materials, Eurobat said.

Battery industry leaders have launched a campaign to combat the “serious threat” to lead-acid recycling operations from the disposal of lithium-ion batteries.

Lead battery trade industry body Battery Council International (BCI) said potential explosions caused by lithium batteries entering the recycling stream puts workers and equipment in recycling centres at risk.

But according to a BCI survey of 123 battery sorting and handling companies, 21% of respondents did not provide or receive training for new employees, 19% of respondents “were not sure” what to do with lithium batteries received and 5% indicated they “did not know the difference” between lead-acid and lithium batteries.