What Happens Next to Car Batteries

Recycling automotive (lead-acid) batteries is one of the most successful recycling programs in the country.  Almost 98 percent of all used lead-acid batteries are recycled, making the lead-acid battery the most highly recycled product in the nation.

As reported by BatteryCoucil.org, a great deal of this success comes from the fact that recycling plastic and lead from batteries is a “closed-loop” process. This means the materials are used, recycled and returned to the original product from which they came—therefore closing the “loop.”

Plastic

If the case is polypropylene, the plastic from recycled batteries eventually is returned to a battery manufacturer to become new covers and cases. This is why many automotive batteries are housed in black plastic; the necessity to use black is a result of a combination of many colors of plastic.

Rubber

Some cases are still made of hard rubber, the same material in bowling balls. This material can be recycled in with the lead smelting process as a carbon source.

Lead

Battery manufacturers use recycled lead for new plates in automotive batteries. Lead oxide also can be reused in the manufacturing process to create new battery units.

Electrolyte Solution

Lead-acid batteries generally use a sodium sulfate solution. When this solution is recycled, the sodium sulfate crystals are used in a variety of manufacturing processes. Glass, textiles and laundry detergents all utilize sodium sulfate. In addition, the solution can be treated and reused in new battery manufacturing.

Continue the cycle and be a part of the “loop” by using the Earth911 recycling locator to find the nearest retailer to recycle your car battery.