Metals are inherently permanent materials which do not lose their properties after recycling and can be recycled endlessly. The EU is a world leader in the circular economy of metals, with state-of-the-art recycling facilities able to recover over 20 metals from scrap. And lead is a key enabler of metals recycling in Europe.
The carrier metal properties of lead make it an efficient and effective enabler for the recycling of a broad range of non-ferrous metals, from gallium used in mobile phones and solar panels, to precious metals including silver and gold.
Lead is supporting sustainable copper recycling across the EU and is a key contributor to the EU's circular economy.
Lead batteries are a perfect example of the circular economy. All lead batteries collected at end-of-life are recycled – the highest recycling rate of all battery technologies. The average lead battery made in the EU today contains more than 80% recycled materials.