Battery Recycling

Battery recycling operators gather and process battery trash in order to ensure its safe disposal and to recover valuable materials. In reaction to the severe health consequences of incorrect battery waste disposal, several countries have implemented laws requiring or encouraging battery recycling, and demand for industry services has increased in recent years as these rules have spread.

Additionally, battery recycling has increased in response to the increasing volume of old batteries entering the waste stream. Simultaneously, industry income has been impacted by fluctuation in the price of virgin nonferrous metals, which has caused operators to discount recycled metals. Over the five years to 2020, industry sales is forecast to expand at an average rate of 0.4 percent to $631.8 million, including 0.9 percent growth in 2020.

Each year, consumers and companies discard billions of batteries, the majority of which may have a negative impact on the environment and public health if not properly disposed of. To address this issue, the Mercury-Containing Rechargeable Battery Management Act of 1996 was adopted, establishing a number of procedures to enable battery recycling.

State and local governments have since added to this legislation by enacting legislation that either encourages or requires battery recycling, including direct subsidies, landfill tipping fees, and Extended Producer Responsibility programs that require battery manufacturers and retailers to fund the proper disposal of the batteries they manufacture and sell. As a result of these rules, demand for industrial services has remained consistent. Increased collection rates result in increased profit margins for industry operators due to economies of scale.

As consumer electronics usage continues to grow in the next years, more discarded batteries will enter the waste stream. As a result, state and municipal rules will be expanded, promoting economic activity and expansion. Additionally, the price of virgin metals is likely to increase significantly over the next five years, allowing industry operators to earn considerable cash from the sale of materials recovered during the battery recycling process. In the five years to 2025, revenue is expected to grow at an annualized pace of 1.2 percent to $671.5 million.

The amount of US battery trash has increased in the five years to 2020 as consumer electronics consumption has increased and the interval between purchase and disposal of gadgets has decreased. Numerous government entities have responded to these developments by enacting laws mandating or otherwise encouraging battery recycling. During the five-year period, government initiatives increased demand for industry services.

While battery collecting remains the primary activity of the sector, battery recyclers also earn a significant portion of income through the sale of nickel, cadmium, lead, and other extracted elements to downstream manufacturers and processors. Over the last five years, the prices of alternative virgin nonferrous metals have climbed, boosting industry income.

Despite wide growth drivers, the business has faced volatility in material costs and low recycling volumes. As a result, the industry’s financial performance has been subpar for the better part of the last five years. Over the five years to 2020, revenue for the Battery Recycling business is forecast to expand at a moderate annualized rate of 0.4 percent to $631.8 million, including 0.9 percent growth in 2020 alone.

The battery recycling sector is forecast to increase steadily over the next five years through 2025, as the US economy continues to develop and municipal, state, and federal battery recycling regulation becomes more severe. Meanwhile, increased demand for rechargeable batteries in consumer items and the developing market for electric and hybrid vehicles would result in a rise in the amount of recyclable batteries available to industrial operators.

Additionally, as global industrial activity expands, demand for nonferrous metals is likely to exceed supply, resulting in a rise in the price of virgin nonferrous metals. As the price of nonferrous metals and other materials recycled by industry operators drops in comparison to their virgin counterparts, demand for industry goods from downstream manufacturers is expected to increase. In the five years to 2025, industry revenue is expected to expand at an annualized rate of 1.2 percent to $671.5 million.

With the US economy continuing to recover and per capita disposable income increasing steadily, overall consumer expenditure is predicted to grow at an annualized pace of 1.9 percent over the next five years. Given the pervasiveness of battery-operated gadgets, higher usage will result in increased battery waste.

When combined with increased public awareness about the potential harmful effects of this waste on human health and the environment, demand for battery recycling is likely to expand. Additionally, it is projected that states and municipalities would continue to require the recycling of spent batteries. This will aid the battery recycling sector in the long run.

Additionally, although the majority of industry income comes from government subsidies and the provision of recycling services, many industry operators make money by selling recovered battery materials to manufacturers, metal wholesalers, and other downstream customers.

Demand for these recycled resources, the majority of which are nonferrous metals, is significantly correlated with the price of their virgin counterparts. Research anticipates that the price of virgin nonferrous metals will recover from recent falls over the next five years, encouraging an increased number of downstream consumers to acquire relatively affordable recycled metals from industrial operators.

The majority of businesses in this sector recycle batteries. Battery trash is collected and sorted by industry operators, or it is processed for safe disposal and the recovery of precious materials for sale to downstream producers. The industry revenue estimate includes the sale of materials recovered from batteries, but excludes the sale of items created utilizing these materials as inputs. The battery recycling industry has reached an advanced degree of development.

Over the ten years through 2025, industrial value added, or the sector’s contribution to the US economy, is predicted to expand at an annualized pace of only 2.1 percent. In comparison, the US GDP is expected to grow at a 2.1 percent annualized pace for the same time. While the sector is developing at the same pace as the economy as a whole, complete market acceptance of industry services and reasonably steady industry participation indicate that the sector has reached maturity.

As a consequence of the potential damage that incorrect battery disposal may do to human health and the environment, federal, state, and local governments have enacted a slew of legislation encouraging or mandating battery recycling, ensuring a steady demand for industry services.

Additionally, the ubiquity and strictness of battery waste management regulations has risen in recent years to meet the expansion in the stock of battery trash, and the amount of battery trash is expected to continue to expand in the future years. As a result, although the business may see short-term revenue decreases owing to a number of variables, including changes in nonferrous metal market prices, overall demand for battery recycling services is likely to stay constant over the next decade through 2025.

Additionally, the high hurdles to entry involved with building a battery processing plant preclude many prospective operators from joining the market, resulting in the industry’s slow development. The number of industrial firms is expected to grow at an annualized pace of 1.8 percent during the next decade, through 2025.

In recent years, the sector has also seen some consolidation, with large battery manufacturers joining the battery recycling sector via acquisition or development of in-house recycling facilities. This consistent level of industry involvement and modest consolidation activities bolster the sector’s maturity.