Mitigating Lead Exposure in Indonesia: Used Lead-Acid Batteries

The Mitigating Lead Exposure in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) project seeks to reduce lead exposure in Asia, Africa, and Latin America from exposure sources such as metal and ceramic cookware, adulterated spices, environmentally unsound used lead-acid battery (ULAB) recycling, and cosmetics. The overarching objective is to assist governments and stakeholders in strengthening institutional capacities, programs, and policies to effectively assess, prioritize, and mitigate lead exposure. Project countries include Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Peru, and the Philippines.

In Indonesia, the Mitigating Lead Exposure in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) project is focused on reducing lead exposure from the exposure source used lead-acid batteries.

Pure Earth began working in Indonesia in 2004, identifying more than 170 toxic sites, with lead being the most prevalent pollutant followed by mercury. According to IHME, 45 million Indonesian children (63%) under the age of 14 had BLL above 5 ug/dl, and the average BLL is 6.4 ug/dl.

Unsound recycling of ULABs is a common contributor to environmental pollution and is often a source of acute lead poisoning among workers and local community members. While most LMICs have some form of regulation that dictates acceptable practices in such operations, these laws and policies are often insufficient and loosely enforced. However, best practices for national ULAB management systems do exist. Pure Earth has authored or contributed to many manuals and guidance documents, including UNEP’s A Guidance Manual for Policymakers and Regulators for the Environmentally Sound Management of Waste or Used Lead Acid Batteries in Africa, the World Economic Forum white paper Consequences of a Mobile Future: Creating an Environmentally Conscious Life Cycle for Lead-Acid Batteries, the soon-to-be-released updated version of the Basel Convention Technical Guidelines on the Environmentally-Sound Recycling of Waste Lead Acid batteries.

Project Objective: Reduce lead poisoning by reducing the number of used lead-acid batteries (ULABs) that are recycled in environmentally unsound facilities.

Expected Outcomes:

1. National government has data related to recycling needs in Indonesia and is willing to facilitate an increase in formal, clean recycling capacity to meet current ULAB volume in a more decentralized way.
2. National government establishes a calendar for Basel convention technical guidance adoption and a parallel regulatory revision based on newly available data from the project specific to ULAB.
3. Sub-national governments are trained and prepared to enforce regulations on the collections and transfer of ULABs to environmentally sound recycling facilities.

Project Activities: 

1. Conduct ULAB ecosystem stakeholders mapping, supply chain analysis, review hazardous waste management regulations & requirements to be adapted to ULAB sector.
2. Research estimated baseline volume of ULAB produced and recycled in formal & informal facilities; produce recommendations & policy brief.
3. Develop regulatory guidance & capacity development plans for sub-national government agencies and Lead-acid Battery producers for ULAB collection.  
4. Provide technical support to GoI and formal recyclers for implementation of reforms.
5. Conduct awareness raising and community education in ULAB polluted areas. 
6. Support adoption of new Basel Convention Technical Guidelines.