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NPEP Success Story
Exide Technologies Saves $350,000 by Reducing Lead Going to Landfill
Exide Technologies, with operations in more than 80 countries, is one of the world’s largest recyclers and producers of lead-acid batteries. The Company’s four global business groups – Transportation Americas, Transportation Europe and Rest of World, Industrial Energy Americas and Industrial Energy Europe and Rest of World – provide a comprehensive range of stored electrical energy products and services for industrial and transportation applications. Exide Technologies: Vernon, Los Angeles, CA, is a lead-acid battery recycling plant.
Exide’s NPEP Goal
In July, 2005, Exide Technologies set an NPEP goal to reduce 120,000 pounds of lead waste in its blast furnace slag prior to disposal.
Waste Minimization Results
We are pleased to report that Exide not only met our NPEP goal we exceeded it by significantly reducing our quantity of lead sent to the landfill. We minimized our lead in waste shipments by over 200,000 pounds, decreasing from 26 pounds of lead sent to the landfill for every ton produced to 18.5 pounds per ton produced. Some waste shipments are now non-hazardous. In addition, the recycling rate of lead in the production improved by 27%.
These are significant achievements given that our production output increased by 34%.
By improving the efficiency of our operation, we believe we saved approximately $350,000 in waste disposal and transportation costs. Exide considers this project a measurable success both for the environment and the Exide Vernon facility. We look forward to continuing our efforts in the waste minimization program and are optimistic that we will achieve further success in the future.