Chapter 5 - Recycling of Lead

Lead is a material which is very easy to recycle. It can be re-melted any number of times, and provided enough processes to remove impurities are performed, the final product (termed secondary lead) is indistinguishable from primary lead produced from ore.

The amount of lead recycled as a proportion of total production is already fairly high worldwide. Over 50% of lead consumed is derived from recycled or re-used material; the figure is higher in Western Europe (60%) and the USA (70%). Secondary production rates compare favourably with other metals.

The long lifetimes associated with some applications of lead coupled with steadily increasing production mean that secondary production as a proportion of total production is not a good indicator of the actual recycling rate for lead (defined as lead recycled as a proportion of end-of-life material).

Recycling rates of lead and other metals are estimated to be much higher than for other materials such as paper, plastics and glass. Disincentives to recycle these materials include: low costs of raw materials to make virgin products, relatively high collection and transportation costs for a low value product and, particularly for plastic and paper, problems with inferior product quality.

Factors influencing high collection rates of lead are:

• the biggest consumer of lead is the battery industry which has a very high rate of collection and return of scrap batteries in most EU Member States;
  
  
• many other products used in much smaller amounts are suitable for recycling, and may be returned via scrap merchants;
  
  
• in conjunction with the iron and steel industries, zinc, copper and lead are recovered within the recycling processes of these industries;
  
  
• some applications which result in its unrecoverable dispersal into the environment, in particular as petrol additives and some paint uses, are being drastically reduced.

Recycling is performed where the industry finds it economic to do so. Recovering scrap metal has the advantages that it is easier and much less energy intensive than producing primary lead from ore (the production of recycled lead requires 35-40% of the energy needed to produce lead from ore.) Recycling also reduces dispersal of lead in the environment and conserves mineral resources for the future.

It is estimated that at least 85% of lead consumed could potentially be recycled. However, in practice the amount that is recovered is lower.

Some lead products are not recycled, either because it is not economic to do so at present, or simply because it is not practical to do so. However, recycling rates are generally increasing. Legislative and economic factors are two key incentives for this increase.

Any figures for recycling rates of lead must be treated with caution. Figures for recycling rates of lead batteries are available in a few countries, such as Italy, where collection systems involve recording this information. However, for lead recycling in general, quoted recycling rates are usually based upon estimates from lead consumption and secondary production. These figures can be distorted by:

• international trade in both scrap and refined lead;
  
  
• long time lags as a result of the long service life of some products;
  
  
• changes in lead consumption, which is generally rising world-wide, so that even a total recovery of lead would not be sufficient to meet demand for new lead products.

Improved waste management systems, such as incentives for battery recovery, guidelines for handling old building materials, old vehicles, electronic scrap, stricter quality demands for dumping materials and also progress in production techniques tend to generate higher recycling rates.