Interstate Batteries Invests in Innovative Lead Recycling Company

Date: May 24, 2016

Source: Aqua Metals, Inc.

Interstate Batteries is investing $10 million for a 5 percent stake in Aqua Metals, Inc. which is commercializing a non-polluting electrochemical lead recycling technology called "AquaRefining." Interstate will also feed roughly 1.1 million batteries to Aqua this year for recycling. Aqua Metals' first AquaRefinery, located in Nevada's Tahoe-Reno Industrial Complex, is set to open in July 2016. In 2015, Interstate recycled more than 24.9 million automotive batteries and sold around 17.5 million. It plans to recycle roughly 25 million this year. Interstate sells new and collects old batteries through 280 distributors that service roughly 200,000 battery sellers and dealers across North America. The company has traditionally shipped its batteries to companies to have them smelted. Instead, Aqua's recycling method differs significantly from smelting. AquaRefining is a wet process that uses electrochemical reactions to recycle nearly 100 percent of the lead in a battery and unlike smelting, is an emissions-free process.

To learn more about Aqua Metals, Inc., visit: www.aquametals.com.

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