Reclaiming Spent Lead-Acid Batteries

Once a lead-acid battery is spent, it becomes hazardous waste because of the lead that it contains. For these reasons, the reclamation and recycling of spent lead-acid batteries are regulated under RCRA (refer to 40 CFR 266.80). Despite federal regulations that govern lead disposal, approximately 40,000 tons of lead end up in landfills every year. Spent lead-acid batteries contribute significantly to the volume of lead in landfills. This need not be the case, because safe methods exist for reclaiming lead-acid batteries and recovering the lead they contain.

Recycling batteries is one way to prevent the buildup of lead in the waste stream and, consequently, in landfills. In this process, recyclers can recover the lead from spent lead-acid batteries. More than 50 percent of the lead supply comes from recycled batteries. To recover the lead, the recyclers ground up the spent lead-acid batteries, neutralize the acids, and then separate the lead from the other material.

Spent lead-acid batteries can also be reclaimed by a variety of different methods. One method commonly used to reclaim a battery is regeneration, that is, making the battery work again. A spent battery is regenerated by using a battery regenerator. This device sends high-frequency pulses of electric current through the battery. These pulses of electricity shake up and loosen the lead-sulfur deposits that prevent the spent battery from keeping a full charge. This process removes contaminants and restores the battery to a useable state. Other methods of battery reclamation are also used.

To learn more about RCRA visit our RCRA Hazardous Waste Safety Online Training web page.