Recycling. Lead Recycling.

Because of the steady increase in car population and the mounting of enviromental concern, lead consumption ratio for lead-acid batteries is tending to gradually increase. As a result of this fact, itis important to establish new reliable collection, treatment, and recycling system of used lead-acidbatteries that would not to be effected by the fluctuation of lead prices and the exchange rate. Andlead-acid batteries made of lead, dilute sulfuric acid and polypropylene have to be treated withoutcausing any enviromental problem.In Japan, in October 1994, the battery manufacturing industry started the a “lead recyling system”.As maintenance-free batteries using no Pb-Sb alloy as grid arewidely used, demand for secondary Pb-Sb alloy has decreased.To maintain the usage amount of secondary lead as lead-acid battery, primary smelters were asked toparticipate in this recycle system.Afterthe introduction of this system, recyclig ratio for lead-acid batteries has risen to about 90%contributing to stabilized recycling ratios.