A Sustainable Future Demands Industrial Battery Recycling

Reduce, reuse, recycle.

We’ve heard it all before. Yet industrial batteries are one of the few places where recycling technology has caught up to industry practices. In fact, 99% of all lead acid batteries are recycled, making them the most recycled consumer product in the United States.

Forklift battery recycling is a critical step in protecting our environment and economy. A sustainable future demands that we reduce battery waste and reclaim as much of their raw materials as possible. It’s all part of protecting your future bottom line.

Read on to learn how to minimize industrial battery waste, how recycling reclaims important materials, and how the process protects your business.

Maximizing Industrial Battery Lifespan

Reducing battery waste starts with getting the most out of each and every forklift battery.

Proper Charging Practices

Charging has a huge impact on battery longevity.

The key is to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines to the letter. These guides are in place to ensure you get everything you can out of your battery. They detail what charging conditions the battery design can handle.

Beyond that basic advice, there are two other common-sense practices to remember.

Firstly, avoid deep discharges. Forklift batteries are not meant to be fully discharged. Doing so significantly reduces their life. Second, always use an appropriate charger. Using a similar charger and assuming it's good enough can be tempting. However, manufacturers design chargers for specific batteries, maximizing their lifespan and potential.

Follow these guidelines and you’ll be on the right track to a long battery lifespan.

Regular Forklift Battery Maintenance

It may seem obvious, but regular maintenance also goes a long way to extending your battery life.

Lead acid batteries require the most maintenance, including watering, equalizing, and cleaning terminals. However, lithium ion batteries also benefit from periodic inspections. Be sure to check that the batteries are properly connected and clean.

These simple actions maintain forklift battery efficiency.

Temperature Management

Some like it hot and others like it cold.

Yet, industrial batteries need a middle ground. The chemical processes that allow batteries to supply power to electric forklifts and other equipment rely on stable, temperate temperatures. Operating in extreme temperatures affects the internal chemical reactions, reducing battery performance and longevity.

Check the manufacturer’s specifications to know what temperatures are optimal for your brand of battery.

Load Management

Batteries, like forklifts, come with load maximums.

A battery can only generate so much energy, and that limit matches the machine it powers. Overloading a forklift puts additional strain on the battery, which fatigues it and diminishes its lifespan.

Operating within the battery’s design specifications is the simplest solution.

Data Monitoring and Analysis

Data is your ally.

The more you know about your battery use, the better your planning will be. Use a quality battery monitoring system to gather data on your battery usage. Analyzing this data will help you predict and potentially prevent battery failures.

As in all aspects of material handling, knowledge is power.

Free Power Study

Take advantage of our complimentary power study.

Our experts collect data on your energy use and battery applications over a two- to four-week period. They then analyze that data to build a summary report. That report contains recommended optimized energy solutions, including battery quantity requirements, charger options, and usage recommendations.

Free programs like this give you a baseline, letting you know if your electric forklift fleet is getting more or less efficient.

Forklift Battery Recycling

No matter what you do, every battery will eventually reach the end of its life.

When that happens, recycling is vital. Recycling not only keeps hazardous materials out of landfills and the environment. It’s also crucial to our national security and economy.

Lithium ion batteries, for example, contain what's known as rare earth metals. These metals are critical to battery function, but are also extremely limited. Our national defense and the material handling industry rely on these metals remaining available for various uses. Recycling reclaims these rare earth metals, allowing them to be used again.

By reusing them, you help keep the metals available and keep the price of batteries down.

Lead Acid Battery Recycling

Lead acid batteries are highly recyclable.

Almost every component of these batteries is reclaimable, meaning they generate very little waste when disposed of properly. Recycling these batteries generates three streams: lead, plastic, and sulfuric acid.

The recycling process recovers virtually 100% of the lead.

Reclaimed lead is usable in new battery production and infinitely recyclable. The plastic casings of these batteries can also be easily reclaimed in the form of injection molding pellets for use in manufacturing the housings of new batteries. Some sulfuric acid remains usable in its current state, but most commonly, the recycling process distills it into sodium sulfate and a neutralized solution.

Other industries, such as glass making, use sodium sulfate in their processes, while the neutralized solution is a component in fresh battery acid.

Lithium Ion Battery Recycling

Recycling lithium ion batteries is not just good for the environment.

It's also a safety requirement. Mishandled lithium ion batteries can catch fire or explode, making them dangerous in landfills. Recycling eliminates this risk.

Recycling these batteries generates a number of reusable streams.

However, the primary product of lithium ion battery recycling is a composite substance known as “black mass.” Black mass is not a standardized material and can contain a wide variety of metals and moisture. Consequently, black mass requires further processing to reclaim valuable rare earth metals.

Smelting is one common method for reclaiming these metals.

This heat-based process melts the combined metals within the black mass, allowing extraction of the individual metals. Leaching is also gaining significant use for metal reclamation. This liquid-based process uses chemical reactions to isolate and recover valuable metals from black mass.

Either method produces metals that are usable in the battery manufacturing process.

How To Get Started

We can all agree that recycling is a win-win, but how do you start?

That's where Southern States Toyotalift can help. We have relationships with smelters and local recycling companies specializing in industrial battery recycling. Our team is happy to accept your old batteries and ensure they arrive at the proper recycling facilities. Let us help you protect the environment and your margins.

To learn more about forklift battery recycling or to request a free power study, contact us online or visit one of our locations throughout Georgia and Florida.

Florida
Jacksonville
Lakeland
Ocala
Orlando
Tampa
Winter Haven

Georgia
Albany
Macon
Columbus
Valdosta

Further Reading
4 Things To Consider When Converting to Electric Forklifts
Top Tips: How To Maximize the Life of Your Forklift Batteries
Forklift Batteries 101