Environmental stakeholders call on the government to formulate a specific policy on the environmentally sound management (ESM) of waste lead-acid batteries (WLAB), namely waste lead-acid batteries (ULAB), in order to comply with the "ULAB" international of-
A seminar on the dissemination of the WLAB Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) in Tanzania and the WLAB ESM instruction manual in Africa is being held recently.
-Conventions prohibiting the import of hazardous wastes and controlling the transboundary movement of goods.
This is in line with the Bamako and Basel Conventions that have been ratified by African countries including Tanzania.
They stated that although Tanzania has formulated the 2020 hazardous waste control and management regulations, the law does not specifically address the challenges associated with ULAB disposal. The regulation recognizes that used lead-acid batteries are dangerous, but does not provide guidance on how to dispose of them to avoid health and environmental impacts.
Dr. Daniel Sabai, a senior lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam School of Education (DUCE), said: “In Tanzania, we do not have a strategy or policy to manage waste lead batteries. As a country, we need to formulate specific policies. And environmentally sound management recommendations are based on the guidelines outlined in the Bamako and Basel Conventions, "
Dr. Sabai said that as a country, it is necessary to use these guidelines and stakeholder recommendations because they are professional. He warned that failure to use them could cause humans and the environment to be affected by ULAB's improper handling.
The expert’s recommendations were made during a seminar organized by Pure Earth in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which disseminated Tanzania’s WLAB environmentally sound management (ESM) policy and strategic recommendations and Africa’s WLAB environmentally sound management Guide manual.
He said that the only additional legislation that can strengthen ULAB's environmentally sound management is the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), which will make ULAB's ESM liability borne by battery manufacturers or battery importers.
"The impact of poor management of waste batteries is more pronounced when receiving waste, such as soil, water, and air. The country needs to develop an environmentally sound management system that incorporates EPR into lead-acid batteries (LAB) and waste lead-acid battery practices Middle," said Tang University.
Ummy Madimbwala, health, safety and environmental manager of GAIA Eco Solutions Tanzania Limited, responsible for ULAB recycling, is concerned that because the management of hazardous waste, including ULAB, is difficult, specific policies and strategies are needed.
Ummy said: “The government should support stakeholders’ efforts to improve ULAB management because they are helping to ensure a safe environment and protect the health of Tanzanians.”
National Environmental Management Committee (NEMC) Environmental Management Officer Jamal Baruti said: “As a government, we support stakeholders’ suggestions on improving ULAB management and propose policies and laws that directly address management issues. ULAB’s.”
Baruti added: “When you have specific policies or laws, you can deal with issues in greater depth; we currently use existing legislation to manage hazardous waste, including used lead-acid batteries; we also comply with signed international Guidelines of the Convention."
According to research recommendations, this policy will help protect human health and the environment through ULAB's environmentally sound management, ensure compliance with national, international, environmental, health and safety conventions, legislation, standards, regulations, and international guidelines, and ensure all interests The user handles ULAB in a sustainable manner and eliminates the random dumping of ULAB electrolyte.
It will also ensure that stakeholders are responsible for ULAB's ESM through the supply chain, that is, collection, temporary storage, transportation, and final recycling. By promoting the import of ULAB, it will provide additional support to Tanzania's environmentally friendly domestic recyclers. The Bamako and Basel Conventions ensure an effective formal ULAB collection system, appropriate sensitivity and awareness of the public, and the importance of ensuring ULAB ESM.
Most of the ULAB collected in the country is sent to scrap metal companies such as Keko Mwanga and Steelcom Limited. In turn, Steelcom sold ULAB to secondary lead smelters such as Gaia Eco Solutions Tanzania Ltd, OK Plastics Ltd and Gravita Tanzania.
ULAB's domestic recycling created and maintained jobs in a country that lost approximately 140,000 jobs during the COVID 19 pandemic and should not lose domestic jobs.
All refined lead recovered in Tanzania is mainly exported to Asia. Not only is the price of exported lead ingots higher than ULB exports, but also lead ingots are not classified as hazardous waste, so exports are not subject to the Basel Convention or the Bamako Convention.
In 2020/2021, Tanzania imported car batteries from 25 countries, of which Kenya accounted for 37% of the market share, followed by the Republic of Korea with 21%, China with 16% and Thailand with 8%.
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