Urgent strategies to improve the lead-acid battery recycling sector

Lead-acid batteries, widely used in vehicles and energy storage systems, present significant economic and environmental challenges, especially in Ghana. The country generates approximately 36,700 tons of used lead-acid batteries (ULABs) annually. However, recycling these batteries often leads to substantial lead pollution, harming workers, nearby communities, and especially children, with elevated blood-lead levels linked to severe health issues. Unsound recycling practices, such as improper battery breaking and handling of lead and sulfuric acid, amplify environmental risks. Ghana has three major industrial ULAB recycling facilities, with a combined capacity exceeding annual ULAB generation. While these facilities have largely replaced smaller informal smelters, legacy sites of contamination and ongoing pollution from non-compliant operations persist. Despite regulatory interventions and closures of highly polluting plants, many facilities fail to meet environmental standards, as evidenced by ongoing lead emissions and health issues in nearby communities.

This policy brief proposes a set of measures for improving the governance of ULAB recycling: stronger oversight and enforcement, including mandatory adherence to technical guidelines, zero-tolerance for non-compliance, and application of the polluter-pays principle for remediation. Additional measures include limiting the number of recyclers to ensure environmental standards are upheld, banning ULAB imports, improving slag management, and incentivizing the collection of intact batteries. These steps aim to mitigate lead exposure, protect public health, and ensure sustainable recycling practices in Ghana.