Battery Recycling Surges

Danielle Jackson

Chicago -- The Battery Council International (BCI) says lead-acid batteries are one of the country's most highly recycled products. According to BCI, more than 93 percent of lead from spent lead batteries, or about 2 billion pounds, is recycled every year and reused to make new batteries.

Meantime, the New York-based Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. (RBRC) has released the results of a national survey highlighting the country's growing reliance on cordless electronic products and rechargeable batteries. The survey found that 63 percent of consumers recycle rechargeable batteries when purchasing replacements at a retail store, 58 percent recycle batteries at work and 60 percent recycle batteries with other recyclables through curbside collection programs.