Used Battery Recycling Compliance

Registration and approval for battery recycling

A person operating a recycling facility shall-

  • register with an approved Producer Responsibility Organisation;
  • obtain a Registration Certificate from the Agency; and
  • provide information as specified in the Fourteenth Schedule to these Regulations.

Used battery recycling

  • A  person  operating a used battery recycling facility shall ensure that they are segregated according to their categories;
  • not disposed of in trash receptacles or at dump-sites; and not disposed of by open burning

Pollution Abatement

(1)   A person who  operates  a used battery recycling plant shall-

  •  install engineering controls to ensure that operations are carried out in an Environmentally Sound Manner;
  • install an Effluent Treatment plant to treat all wastewater or acid generated in the facility;
  • install the Best Available Technology that ensures gaseous, dust and particle emissions are trapped;
  • ensure regular and effective environmental monitoring control measures;
  • ensure bag house dust is discharged into sealed drums and the drums when full shall be reintroduced directly to the furnace to recover the lead in the dust, to  avoid release into the environment as well as contact between operators and the dust;
  • capture the fume and dust particles generated during melting, smelting and refining operations by passing the off gases through a filter plant, or  bag house;
  • ensure that all off gases from lead smelting, melting and refining operations are ventilated to dust particles;
  • ensure that the filter plant or bag house is constantly monitored and maintained to ensure that dust particles are captured during operations and no visible smoke or dust shall be released during operations; and
  • ensure that operators working in or around a bag house filter plant wears the appropriate PPE, including overalls, hats, boots, gloves, safety glasses and not less than an N95/FFP2 dust mask or equivalent neoprene cartridge filter.

(2)  An operator of a used battery recycling facility including scavengers, collectors or transporters shall dispose waste in an environmentally sound manner and shall not-

  • burn used batteries in the environment;
  • dispose used batteries alongside domestic and or municipal waste; and
  • dispose used batteries, or its by-products, into a dump-site or water body

Use of PPE

A person involved in the handling of used batteries recycling plants shall ensure that the technicians, collectors, transporters, scavengers, etc. wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as prescribed in the Fifteenth Schedule to these Regulations.

Citizens obligation

(1) It shall be the responsibility of a person to-

  • deposit used batteries at registered battery collection centres;
  • not disposed of used batteries in dumpsites or drain battery contents to the environment;
  • report any fly tipping and disposal of used batteries in an undesignated location to the appropriate authority;
  • handover leaking batteries to the registered battery collectors or recyclers as soon as such leakage is detected; and
  • incorporate sound environmental practice by ensuring that necessary precautions are made to contain the leaking batteries during handling, storage and transportation.

(2) All registered battery recycling facilities shall ensure that-

  • capacity is available to treat the actual number of used batteries that are allocated to the facility;
  • where necessary, transportation of used batteries from one recycling facility to an alternative recycling facility is carried out in accordance with the provisions of these Regulations; and
  • battery recycling facilities are reasonably accessible to any person who wishes to deliver used batteries.

Furnishing of record to the Agency

  • A battery producer, distributor and importer shall keep up to date records and furnish the Agency in writing, the quantity of all batteries which have been imported in the preceding year on or before 30th of June of every year.
  • An operator of any collection centre, storage facility and recycling plant shall keep up to date records and furnish the Agency quarterly in writing the quantity of used and recycled batteries received, and shall maintain such records.

Insurance policy

  • An applicant for a permit issued under these Regulations shall satisfy the Agency of an appropriate subscription to insurance policies for the staff and the public covering risks likely to arise, out of the activity for which the permit is required.