Lead and Battery Metal Prices in Canada 2025

Lead scrap in Canada is dominated by lead-acid battery recycling. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid batteries have a well-established, closed-loop recycling system.

The lead-acid recycling loop

Lead-acid batteries are among the most recycled products in the world. In Canada, virtually all spent lead-acid batteries are recycled, with the recovered lead going back into new battery manufacture. This closed loop keeps demand for scrap lead steady and predictable.

What drives lead prices

Lead prices on the LME set the baseline. Canadian yard prices for batteries are influenced by this, plus local supply volumes (high in spring when old batteries are replaced post-winter) and the cost of processing at secondary smelters.

Battery prices vs weight

Most yards buy lead-acid batteries by piece rather than per kg — a fixed price per automotive battery, a different price for commercial batteries. This simplifies transactions. A typical car battery pays $10-20 at a Canadian yard.

Lithium-ion batteries

Lithium is in high demand due to EV adoption, but lithium-ion battery recycling in Canada is still developing. Most scrap yards do not buy lithium batteries — they go to specialist recyclers. This may change as volumes increase over the next decade.

For sellers

Lead prices are stable. If you have a significant number of old batteries (from a fleet, equipment change, or demolition), call multiple yards for pricing. Some yards have minimum quantities for pickup service.