Lead recycling in the United States in 1998

This materials flow study includes a description of lead supply and demand factors for the United States to illustrate the extent of lead recycling and to identify recycling trends. Understanding the system of materials flow from source to ultimate disposition can assist in improving the management of the use of natural resources in a manner that is compatible with sound environmental practices. The quantity of lead recycled in 1998, as a percentage of apparent lead supply, was estimated to be about 63 percent, and recycling efficiency, to be 95 percent. Of the total lead consumed in products for the U.S. market in 1998, an estimated 10 percent was consumed in products in which the lead was not readily recyclable.