Lead Acid Battery Recycling
Best Management Practices for Marine Batteries
Boaters and their home marinas can totally prevent contamination problems caused by lead-acid batteries. Following Best Management Practices and recycling are key.
Lead-Acid Batteries are used in the majority of commercial and recreational vessels. Compared to the available alternative, lead-acid batteries are inexpensive and easy to maintain. There are risk in handling batteries. They contain the well known toxic heavy metal lead and corrosive sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid causes chemical burns to the eyes and skin. Both lead and sulfuric acid can easily contaminate soil and lead to massive cleanup costs. Before working near or maintaining lead-acid batteries, review the safety precautions found in the article Introduction to Marine Batteries.
Environmentally, lead-acid batteries are a success story. Industry data shows approximately 96% of the lead used in these products is recycled. This is partly due to the nature of the metal and core exchange charges made on battery cases. New batteries contain 60% to 80% recycled plastic and lead. Protecting the environment from the use of lead-acid batteries is tied to two strategies, using best management practices to collect and handle them, and recycling.
Marina Lead-Acid Battery Best Management Practices (BMP)
- Recycle lead-acid batteries - Do not dispose of them with other solid wastes
- Separate batteries from other materials stockpiled for recycling with a physical barrier
- Handle batteries cautiously to avoid broken cases and resultant acid spills
- Batteries with broken cases should be placed in an acid resistant container like a plastic 5-gallon bucket
- Store lead-acid batteries upright on a hard, impervious surface that is protected from the weather
- Avoid stacking batteries directly upon each other. Place a layer of plywood between them
- Avoid storing an accumulation of batteries for long periods of time
- Schedule regular pickups of accumulated batteries for recycling
Battery Recycling Process - Reusing the components of a battery involves a few steps. Batteries are collected at marinas and transported to recyclers. They are ground up into a vat were its component material separates out by weight. Lighter plastic case material floats to the top and heavier lead settles towards the bottom of the container. This process creates three distinct materials that are recycled:
- Plastic - Composed mostly of polypropylene, the battery case pieces are washed, dried and processed into plastic pellets that can be used to make new cases and covers
- Lead - The parts of the battery are washed and then melted in a smelter furnace. The molten lead is poured into large ingots and reused by manufacturers
- Sulfuric Acid - Acid can be chemically neutralized or processes into sodium sulfate, a product used in laundry detergent and manufacturing processes
