A lead-acid battery producer and recycler, Johnson Controls is aiming to show Chinese officials the most efficient and effective processes for lead-acid and advanced chemistry transportation battery recycling. The company agreed to sponsor the initiative to help China adopt a better closed-loop recycling system whereby manufacturers reclaim the lead, plastics and acids contained within batteries, thereby standardising the process and helping to cut down on pollution and related health risks.

Intended to serve as a benchmark for China’s global recycling study initiatives, the tour includes visits to four smelter sites in Germany, Spain, Mexico and North America, as well as to state-of-the-art battery manufacturing and distribution facilities. ‘We look forward to assisting the Chinese national government in proposing new policy initiatives that will make the lead recycling process in China as efficient and environmentally friendly as anywhere in the world,’ says John Sibson, Johnson Controls’ Executive Director Corporate Strategy and leader of the company’s tour delegation.

According to Mr Sibson, tours and presentations will enable Johnson Controls to highlight current recycling regulations as well as examples of all secondary lead smelting furnace and process technologies. The intention is also to provide an overview of the environmental health and safety standards practised by Western smelters.