Thousands of tons of lead acid batteries are recycled in Ecuador; residues can cause poisoning in adults and children

Just one watch battery can contaminate 600,000 liters of water, but if it is a battery, be it a vehicle or motorcycle, it is highly toxic to the environment when lead is released.

However, these batteries can be recycled almost entirely and there are already more than 17,000 tons that have been used during 2022, according to Ghislaine Lino, general coordinator of BAPU (Used Lead Acid Batteries).

This collection is carried out through the BAPU initiative, a non-profit corporation made up of companies in the battery market that seek to recycle the 80% of all gadgets sold.

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These actions are detailed in the ministerial agreement 034 of the Ministry of the Environment and which is in force since October 7, 2021.

“This agreement requires that the management of lead acid batteries be guaranteed, but under the framework of extended responsibility of the producer, for which reason the producing companies decided to create this system,” explains Lino.

These lead acid devices are a very common type of battery in vehicles and work with a chemical reaction between the lead plates and sulfuric acid.

Its recycling begins with the final consumer, which delivers the used battery to the establishments. Then it goes to a transport manager and is taken to the recovery plant to recover its components such as lead, polypropylene and electrolyte.

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“Its recycling process consists of making collected batteries enter a grinding systemwhich by wet method separates the plastic, paste, metallic and electrolyte materials that are then pumped to industrial water treatment”, says Lino.

And he adds that the electrolyte, separated from the batteries, passes through pipes to a settling silo in order to separate the lead paste.

Then, this electrolytic solution is neutralized with calcium hydroxide to be sent to an industrial wastewater manager.

Later, the polypropylene, resulting from the crushing of batteries, enters a pellet manufacturing line; and lead and metal paste, through secondary smelting, it becomes crude lead. “And slag is generated, a substance that must be delivered to confinement as hazardous waste,” says Lino.

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In Ecuador, about 1.2 million units of lead acid batteries are manufactured each year. Having a chemical element can produce poisoning in adults and minors. In fact, lead poisoning affects 1 in 3 children in the world, according to data from the initiative.

To Verónica Manrique, deputy director of Green Areas of the Municipality of Guayaquilcontamination by batteries lies in the incorrect treatment of waste.

“Once the car battery is changed, it is not delivered to an authorized manager, who has an environmental license because we are talking about dangerous waste. The lead acid battery has a high recovery percentage, which is why it is important to deliver to a manager”, he points out.

During the cleaning actions carried out by this environmental department, such as In the Salado estuary they have not found batteries, but in the event of presenting, it indicates that the appropriate step is to deliver it to authorized persons.

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“No batteries, yes televisions. Batteries are not constant waste, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there had been at some point,” he says.

Meanwhile, since last August the ecovalor battery, an additional charge for the purchase of these devices to finance awareness campaigns.

are charged from $0.15 for motorcycle batteries and $0.25 for car batteries. This action is endorsed and supervised by the Ministry of the Environment. It is applied in businesses that sell batteries only for motorcycles and forklift vehicles. “It is under the motto whoever generates the waste must pay,” says Lino. (YO)