Used Lead Acid Batteries (ULAB) - Waste Lead Acid Batteries (WLAB)Overview Approximately 86 per cent of the total global consumption of lead is for the production of lead-acid batteries, mainly used in motorized vehicles, storage of energy generated by photovoltaic cells and wind turbines, and for back-up power supplies (ILA, 2019). Relevant United Nations Environment Assembly resolutions on ULAB/WLAB.
Waste lead-acid batteries are a type of solid waste generated by widely dispersed sources, including households, enterprises, and government agencies. Although the number of WLABs from each individual household is low, the total number of WLABs from society is high, causing great social concern.
What are lead-acid batteries?
Lead-acid batteries are the most widely and commonly used rechargeable batteries in the automotive and industrial sector. Irrespective of the environmental challenges it poses, lead-acid batteries have remained ahead of its peers because of its cheap cost as compared to the expensive cost of Lithium ion and nickel cadmium batteries.
As for the recycled waste batteries, the primary lead industry can take lead concentrate or higher grade lead concentrate after sintering as the main raw material, and lead-containing waste in waste lead-acid batteries such as lead paste from a small number of WLABs as auxiliary ingredients.
Inappropriate recycling operations release considerable amounts of lead particles and fumes emitted into the air, deposited onto soil, water bodies and other surfaces, with both environment and human health negative impacts. Lead-acid batteries are the most widely and commonly used rechargeable batteries in the automotive and industrial sector.
How does a lead-acid battery collection system work?
Based on the models implemented in England and Germany, this system relies on the fact that, after the collection of used lead-acid batteries by the retailers, they will use a specialized collectors network that will take them to the smelters.
How can we improve the life distribution of waste lead batteries?
Therefore, clarifying the life distribution of waste lead batteries by analyzing accurate user behavior can help promote the gathering of accurate statistics on end-of-life waste lead batteries and provide data support for overall government planning and supervision, as well as improving the geographical distribution of recycling enterprises.