DENR urged to use EPR legislation to producers of lead batteries

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The Federation of Philippine Industries is urging the Division of Surroundings and Pure Sources to develop the applying of the Prolonged Producer Accountability (EPR) legislation to incorporate used lead acid batteries (ULAB).
The FPI is asking the DENR to difficulty an administrative order mandating producers of lead acid batteries to adjust to the EPR Legislation to make sure its correct restoration and recycling.
Enacted in 2022, the Prolonged Producer Accountability Act of 2022 large-scale corporations to handle their plastic packaging waste all through the life cycle of the product.

READ: Gov’t urged to ban export of used automobile batteries, lead scraps

Able paper to Surroundings Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, FPI chair Jesus Arranza mentioned the DENR ought to “strictly implement” the right assortment and recycling of ULAB in order that entities “will be unable to market their merchandise within the nation until they’ve satisfactorily confirmed that they’ve collected their ULABs and channeled them to accredited recyclers.”
In accordance with the United Nations Surroundings Programme, roughly 86 % of the overall international lead consumption is for the manufacturing of lead-acid batteries, primarily utilized in motorized autos, storage of power generated by photovoltaic cells and wind generators and backup energy provides.
The group mentioned recycling hazardous wastes together with ULAB requires superior technical know-how and state-of-the-art services given their speedy dangerous results on the atmosphere and folks.
“We imagine that in comparison with unusual waste sorts like plastics at the moment lined by the EPR implementing guidelines, ULABs ought to be handled with extra urgency due to their speedy dangerous results on the atmosphere and the folks,” Arranza mentioned.
The FPI mentioned the federal government ought to help trendy recyclers in order that ULABs gained’t find yourself within the fingers of fly-by-night recyclers that function “shabby and unregulated services.”
It additionally referred to as on the federal government to require involved producers and importers to gather used lead acid batteries and transport them to accredited recyclers.
“As a lot as potential, we’re pushing for 1 to 1. Which means that, for instance, an entity that managed to gather 1,000
ULABs ought to solely be allowed to promote 1,000 model new batteries as effectively,” he mentioned.
If attaining a one-to-one ratio is unattainable, the group advisable a phased implementation: 20 % within the first 12 months, 50 % within the second 12 months and 80 % within the third 12 months.
“This is able to clear up the mushrooming of unlawful lead smelters and ULAB recyclers that at the moment are working regardless of the hurt being completed to the atmosphere and the group, together with these positioned in San Simon, Pampanga, Valenzuela, Tarlac, Cavite, and different components of the nation,” the group mentioned.