Updates on the Environmentally Sound Management of Used Lead Acid Batteries - Side event at BRS COPs 2019

Name: Updates on the Environmentally Sound Management of Used Lead Acid Batteries - Side event at BRS COPs 2019
Start: 2019-05-02
Location: Switzerland

2 May 2019

Geneva, Switzerland

Overview

Background and Objectives

Presentations

Side-event of UN Environment Chemicals and Health Branch in collaboration with the Basel Rotterdam and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions Secretariat.

Key stakeholders including the World Health Organization, the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions, the International Lead Association, Pure Earth and the Global Battery Alliance, updated the participants on the best practices regarding environmentally sound management of ULABs. Countries representatives from Indonesia, the Philippines and Senegal shared their country experiences.

Side-event Flyer

Lead is a naturally occurring metal which is also a multisystem toxicant with no safe levels. Its exposure can cause chronic and debilitating health impacts in all age groups but is particularly harmful to young children leading to low IQ, learning disabilities, antisocial behaviors and other deficiencies.

Currently more than 80% of the global demand for lead is from batteries. Many reports exist with cases of health and environmental damages from inappropriate recycling of used lead acid batteries (ULAB), particularly in developing countries. The manufacturing and recycling of lead-acid batteries is practiced globally in both regulated industries and unregulated informal establishments. Lead recycling is an important source of environmental contamination and human exposure. The main pathways of exposure to lead from recycling used lead-acid batteries arise from environmental emissions. (WHO, 2017).

UN Environment Assembly Resolution 3/9 on the environmentally sound management (ESM) of waste LAB invited the Conference of the Parties of the Basel Convention to consider revising the technical guidelines for the ESM of waste LAB and application of new technologies in different aspects of the ESM system. UNEA 3/9 also requests the UN Environment Executive Director to continue assisting countries, in particular developing countries and countries with economies in transition, to further capacity building, technical support and guidance to countries in the environmentally sound management of waste lead-acid batteries.

Updates on the Environmentally Sound Management of Used Lead-Acid Batteries (UN Environment)
Health impact of lead exposure (World Health Organization)
Lead Pollution & Battery Recycling (Pure Earth)
Responsible Pyro-Metallurgical Recycling of Used Lead Batteries (International Lead Association)
Developing Best Practices for Handling Used Lead Acid Batteries (ULABs) (Global Battery Alliance)