On November 15, communities across the country mark America Recycles Day, a chance to celebrate the habits that keep valuable materials in use and out of landfills. For Battery Council International (BCI) and the lead battery industry, it’s also a moment to spotlight a recycling success story more than a century in the making.
BCI’s U.S. Recycling Rate Study, released in August, confirms that lead batteries are America’s most recycled consumer product, recycled at a rate of nearly 98%. That’s well ahead of paper and cardboard, aluminum cans, plastics and glass. Over the long term, the rate remains above 99%. To mark America Recycles Day, BCI is sharing a new video that walks through the study’s highlights and the system behind them.
What the study found
During the 2020–2024 study period:
- U.S. recyclers recovered more than 11 billion pounds of lead, 97.7% of the lead that reached the end of its service life.
- More than 174 million lead batteries are recycled domestically each year, returning over 2.2 billion pounds of lead to battery manufacturing.
- Domestic recycling supplies roughly 70% of annual U.S. lead demand. Including recyclers in Canada and Mexico, the North American system meets more than 83% of regional demand.
- The system spans more than 300,000 collection sites and 15 recycling facilities across North America, supporting 60 manufacturing facilities and 62 material and component suppliers.
A closed loop, 100 years in the making
Lead battery recycling works because every step is connected. A spent battery dropped off at a retailer or service center is collected, broken down at a recycling facility, and its materials are recovered and sent back to manufacturers to build new batteries. Lead, tin and antimony can be recycled again and again without losing performance, so the same material can power a car, a forklift or a backup system many times over. As the new video puts it: the next battery starts with the last one.
Why it matters more than ever
Recycling lead batteries isn’t only good for the environment. It’s a matter of supply chain security. In late 2025, the U.S. Geological Survey designated lead a critical mineral, and a July 30 Presidential Determination moved to control exports of recoverable critical minerals, including lead. The United States has no “primary” lead facility, so domestic manufacturers rely on recycled material.
That supply keeps essential infrastructure running. Lead batteries are in roughly 290 million vehicles on U.S. roads and provide backup power for hospitals, 911 call centers, the U.S. military and the data centers behind AI. The U.S. battery industry directly supports more than 106,000 jobs and $35 billion in annual business output.
Big picture, there are 54 million jobs and $10 trillion in U.S. economic output related to or reliant on all battery types across the nation.
“As the country works to secure the critical minerals that power domestic battery manufacturing, this study shows the power of an industry-built circular economy that keeps key raw materials onshore and protects U.S. supply chains,” said Roger Miksad, President and Executive Director of BCI.
Looking ahead
The industry is focused on closing the remaining gap, which BCI attributes in part to unreported or improper exports of scrap batteries to facilities that may not meet North American environmental and safety standards. Through programs like the Lead Battery 360° certification, now covering 10 facilities, BCI continues to push for responsible recycling across the global supply chain.
This America Recycles Day, the easiest way to be part of the loop is simple: when it’s time to replace a battery, return the old one to a retailer or collection site.
Watch the video and read the full U.S. Recycling Rate Study. #AmericaRecycles
