Zambia solar container battery container recycling

Are there any lead-acid battery recycling companies in South Africa?

A few sophisticated and properly regulated formal lead-acid battery recycling companies do exist in SSA, such as Associated Battery Manufacturers in Kenya and First National Battery in South Africa, but these exceptions have a very limited capacity in respect to SSA's volume of lead-acid battery waste.

Is off-grid solar waste regulated in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Off-grid solar market and waste flow in sub-Saharan Africa are mostly unregulated. Estimated 12,000 tonnes of waste generated in 2020, a 545 % increase from 2016. Off-grid solar waste has significant impacts, including childhood lead exposure. Emerging waste management consensus fails to address most of the waste flow.

Can We close the lead-acid battery material loop in Africa?

Profitable opportunities to close the lead-acid battery material loop in Africa. The rate of access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is just 42 %. The private market for household-scale off-grid solar (OGS) products (pico solar and solar home systems) is regarded as a key tool for increasing electricity access in SSA.

How many lead-acid battery recycling sites are there in SSA?

It is estimated that there are between 1150 and 7200 informal lead-acid battery recycling sites in SSA, which directly exposes between 670,800–4,149,880 people to lead poisoning ( Ericson et al., 2016 ).

What are the environmental consequences of recycling a battery?

Valuable waste fractions are often informally recycled with extremely severe environmental consequences. Most concerningly, the informal recycling of lead-acid batteries is a primary driver of lead exposure in SSA and is cited as the world's largest source of toxic pollution that directly affects human health.

Should lead-acid battery recycling be a priority area for public subsidisation?

It has been estimated that Africa loses 4 % of its GDP a year from lead poisoning ( Attina & Trasande, 2013 ). Therefore, with the potential for such substantial societal gains, developing sophisticated domestic lead-acid battery recycling infrastructure should be a priority area for public subsidisation.