Have you ever wondered what happens to your old vehicle battery once you replace it? If you recycle it with authorised recyclers, it will be recycled and reused to make new batteries. If, however, your old battery gets disposed of with other household items, it may end up in a landfill, where the battery components such as lead, plastic, and acid can leak into the soil, causing environmental damage and harm to people and animals.
“Not only is South Africa fast running out of landfill space, but it’s also the last place a lead-acid battery should end up in,” says Murray Long, Managing Director of First National Battery. “Our organisation follows the cradle-to-cradle principle, which means for every lead-acid battery we supply into the market, we make sure to recycle a similar one,” he said about their responsibility to protect the environment and natural resources.
Responsible and sustainable recycling
More than 12 million registered vehicles are on South African roads. A good quality lead-acid battery will last these vehicle owners between four and five years, but eventually they will need to replace their batteries. On top of that, lead-acid batteries account for about 85% of the global demand for refined lead, most of which comes from recycling.
Luckily, some South African battery power solutions companies have already invested in world-class facilities for the safe and responsible recycling of batteries for cars, motorcycles, trucks, caravans, jet skis, golf carts, and powerboats. Long adds that sustainable and accountable recycling is at the core of their operations, as they supply the market with more than two million lead-acid batteries each year. “Recycling is our responsibility to reduce our impact on landfill sites and to look after the environment for future generations,” he added.
Improving recycling efficiencies
There are not many battery recycling facilities in Africa, but First National Battery’s recycling facility is leading the way to effectively and efficiently recycle more than 90% of all used lead acid batteries.
Join the green revolution
When it is time for you to replace your vehicle battery, make sure you drop the used one with a network of battery solutions branches that will ensure it gets recycled responsibly and safely and give reliable power to other vehicles. “Lead-acid batteries are the most recycled product in the world, and we’re proud to partner with more than 120 branches across the country to ensure we can collect and recycle all the lead-acid batteries out there,” Long concluded.
