How to dispose of and manage waste lead-acid batteries

1. What are waste lead-acid batteries

Lead-acid batteries refer to batteries whose electrodes are mainly made of lead and its oxides, and whose electrolytes are sulfuric acid solutions or colloidal substances. Waste lead-acid batteries refer to lead-acid batteries that have lost their original value or have not lost their value but have been abandoned or discarded in production, life and other activities. They do not include lead-acid batteries that have been returned to the factory for fault detection, repair and refurbishment during the shelf life. According to the "National List of Hazardous Wastes (2021 Edition)", waste lead-acid batteries are hazardous wastes, the waste category is "HW31 lead-containing waste", and the waste code is "900-052-31".

2. Sources of waste lead-acid batteries

Lead-acid batteries are widely used in energy storage, automobiles, communication base stations, electric bicycles and other fields. The most common in daily life are the batteries built into electric bicycles and cars. Waste lead-acid batteries mainly come from industrial and mining enterprises, motor vehicles, electric bicycles, lead-acid battery manufacturers, communications and power and other industrial source-generating enterprises, as well as commercial banks, data centers, electric vehicle dealerships, 4S stores, repair shops, auto parts sales and service concentration areas, electric bicycle repair points and other social source-generating enterprises.

3. Hazards of arbitrary disposal of waste lead-acid batteries

The lead and lead oxides and acid electrolytes in waste lead-acid batteries will pollute the environment. The pollution has the characteristics of long cycle and high hiddenness. The potential environmental hazards are very serious. Improper handling can easily cause secondary pollution. Lead is a neurotoxic heavy metal that can damage the human brain, leading to low central nervous function and abnormal nerve and behavioral functions. Children are especially susceptible to lead absorption, and the chance of poisoning is 5 times that of adults. If pregnant women are lead poisoned, it will not only increase the risk of premature birth, but also directly endanger the brain development of the fetus.

IV. Management of waste lead-acid batteries

Units that generate waste lead-acid batteries shall declare and store them in accordance with relevant national regulations and environmental protection standards, and hand them over to qualified waste lead-acid battery centralized collection pilot units for unified collection, or hand them over to qualified hazardous waste management units for utilization and disposal.

V. Environmental management requirements for waste lead-acid battery collection outlets

Hang the "waste lead-acid battery collection outlet" logo

Sign a recycling agreement with the centralized transfer point to clarify the service time limit and requirements

Use the waste lead-acid battery management information system normally, and have a ledger for the recycling and sale of waste lead-acid batteries

There is a special waste lead-acid battery storage site with hardened ground and anti-corrosion packaging containers, which are stored in separate partitions and standardized, and the storage volume does not exceed 2 days of recycling

The lead-acid battery cover must not be disassembled to add liquid or increase weight, and wastewater and waste liquid must not be discharged

Waste batteries must not be sold to unqualified small vendors

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