Energy-saving recovery of lead from waste lead paste via in-situ hydrometallurgical reduction and electrochemical mechanism

•A facile zero-emission and energy-saving approach for the recovery of spent lead paste was proposed.•High purity lead and low specific energy consumption (483.5 kWh t–1) were realized on the hydrometallurgical reduction approach.•The nucleation mechanism of lead on spent lead paste cathodes was exhaustively investigated.•Directly reutilization of spent lead paste plates as negative electrode of lead-carbon battery avoids the secondary processing of recycled products.