March 6, 2026: Gopher Resources has announced plans to expand R&D activities as the US lead recycler marks its 80th anniversary of operations.

Gopher said on February 17 the expansion was being prompted by rising demand, supply chain uncertainty — and buoyed by the recent US decision to designate lead as a mineral critical to the country’s economy and national security.

The company said it will boost efforts to improve recovery efficiency, reduce waste, and increase the performance of existing recycling processes.

By refining how materials are recovered, Gopher said it can capture additional value from end-of-life batteries and reinforce secure, domestic supply chains.

In addition to lead, Gopher continues to expand the recovery of other valuable metals present in lead batteries, including tin and antimony.

The company also recovers the polypropylene plastic used in lead battery casings. This material is cleaned, processed, and returned to battery manufacturers for use in new battery cases, supporting a closed‑loop system in which nearly every major component of a spent battery is recycled and used again.

“For 80 years, Gopher Resource has focused on doing one thing well: safely recovering materials that are essential to American manufacturing,” said Daniel Leach, senior VP and chief business development officer.

“As demand for secure, domestic battery materials continues to grow, our role in supporting the nation’s economic and supply chain stability has never been more important.”

In 2023, Gopher was awarded Battery Council International’s Innovation Award for its advances in dealing with slag.

Last June, Gopher said it already recycles more than 23 million lead batteries, over 40 million pounds of plastic and saves nearly 70 million gallons of water.