Global recycled led market is slated to gain substantial traction over the next few years. The proliferation of the global lead industry over the past few years along significant consumption of lead in various end-use applications has made lead recycling a necessity. The recycling of lead helps foster sustainable development and ease pressure on non-renewable resources.

Lead has one of the highest recycling rates among all materials in common use today. Fundamental properties of the metal, excellent design and the way in which lead is used make it easily identifiable to collect and recycle. Recycling of lead is an extremely viable option which makes a critical contribution towards curbing carbon emissions through a simple and energy-efficient recovery process.

Additionally, recycled lead is cost-effective compared to virgin lead and takes less than one-fourth of the energy needed to extract lead from its ore. Lead recycling has a much smaller carbon footprint than mining and it minimizes the amount of waste generated during primary extraction. Lead being a naturally-occurring element, the quality of recycled lead is identical to that of the primary metal extracted from mining.

The battery industry being a major consumer of lead has substantially increased the need for lead recycling. The Battery Council (BCI) had published a study 2017 which revealed that lead batteries have a recycling rate of close to 99.3%. The sustainability of lead-based batteries and their widespread use in ecofriendly energy storage for automotive and industrial applications will propel the demand for recycled lead.

Considering the end-use industry, recycled lead market can be segmented into construction, transportation, electronics, energy, healthcare, data centers and telecommunication, and others. The others segment includes industrial and ammunition, among other applications. Robust demand across a range of industrial applications will drive the segment growth.

In the construction sector, recycled lead is prominently used in roofing and plumbing applications. Lead, its alloys, and compounds are used in building roofs, tank linings, cornices, cladding, electrical conduits, parapets, and flashing gutters. Furthermore, lead-based paints prevent the rusting and corrosion of iron and steel. These paints are widely used on steel structures such as railways, bridges, lighthouses, and other infrastructure.

Latin America recycled lead market is projected to witness a CAGR of 1.3% through 2026. This can be attributed to growing construction activities in the region along with rapid expansion of various end-use industries. Increasing lead application in automotive and industrial sector will foster the regional growth.