Responsible Lead-acid Battery Recyclers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

This document provides information on recyclers of used lead-acid batteries (ULABs) in low- and middle-income countries that have been found to be most advanced sector players with regards to emission controls, occupational health & safety and industrial hygiene in their respective country. This positive listing was motivated by substantial concerns around unsound practices in ULAB recycling, which commonly have severe and partly life-long health impacts for affected persons, most commonly the facilities’ workers and communities living and working in surrounding areas. Exposure to lead is known to be a severe health risk and it is estimated that around 1/3 of all children are subject to elevated lead-in-blood levels (UNICEF & PureEarth 2020). While there are various pathways for lead exposure, lead-acid battery recycling can – in the places where such processes are conducted in an unsound way – be a very severe form of lead emissions causing short-, medium and long-term exposure. The challenge of unsound lead-acid battery recycling is most pronounced in emerging economies where economic growth, population increase and changing consumption patterns lead to rapidly growing battery volumes, while waste management and recycling systems have not yet adapted to best available practices.