10
H. Roberts
Fig. 3 Estimate of lead recovered from scrap batteries ex-China and recycling rate
processing scrapped batteries. In support of this view is the increase in trade in used
lead–acid batteries for recycling in recent years from a wide range of countries in
Asia, Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. Battery recyclers in Korea have been
especially active in seeking new sources of scrap supply, in addition to importing
battery scrap in significant quantities from the USA and Japan. Over the past two
years, Korea scrap traders have found themselves competing with buyers from India,
particularly in sub-Saharan Africa for battery scrap. The entrance of India into the
international trade in battery scrap came after a change in domestic regulations in
April 2016 governing the movement of hazardous materials. Hitherto, there had
been a formal and more or less blanket ban on importing a wide range of secondary
materials into India. This has been revised with new regulations permitting the import
of used batteries and other lead scrap provided that the facility that processes these
secondary materials is formally registered and licenced. The small dip in Korean
imports of lead–acid battery scrap is seen in 2018 in Fig. 4 reflects the competition
from Indian traders as well as a fall in imports from Japan as discussed below.
There are concerns that the international trade in scrap batteries, especially from
countries where there are well-regulated and mature recycling industries, such as in
the USA, Japan, and Europe, to countries where recycling operations may not be as
well regulated, is undermining efforts to ensure that, as far as is possible, lead–acid
batteries are recycled in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. There is
also the risk that, by being prepared to pay more for scrapped batteries than domestic
H. Roberts
Fig. 3 Estimate of lead recovered from scrap batteries ex-China and recycling rate
processing scrapped batteries. In support of this view is the increase in trade in used
lead–acid batteries for recycling in recent years from a wide range of countries in
Asia, Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. Battery recyclers in Korea have been
especially active in seeking new sources of scrap supply, in addition to importing
battery scrap in significant quantities from the USA and Japan. Over the past two
years, Korea scrap traders have found themselves competing with buyers from India,
particularly in sub-Saharan Africa for battery scrap. The entrance of India into the
international trade in battery scrap came after a change in domestic regulations in
April 2016 governing the movement of hazardous materials. Hitherto, there had
been a formal and more or less blanket ban on importing a wide range of secondary
materials into India. This has been revised with new regulations permitting the import
of used batteries and other lead scrap provided that the facility that processes these
secondary materials is formally registered and licenced. The small dip in Korean
imports of lead–acid battery scrap is seen in 2018 in Fig. 4 reflects the competition
from Indian traders as well as a fall in imports from Japan as discussed below.
There are concerns that the international trade in scrap batteries, especially from
countries where there are well-regulated and mature recycling industries, such as in
the USA, Japan, and Europe, to countries where recycling operations may not be as
well regulated, is undermining efforts to ensure that, as far as is possible, lead–acid
batteries are recycled in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. There is
also the risk that, by being prepared to pay more for scrapped batteries than domestic