June 2, 2022: Four battery associations representing the entire lead battery value chain are joining the Protecting Every Child’s Potential (PECP) initiative. This was founded in October 2020 by battery manufacturer Clarios, Unicef and Pure Earth, a US non-profit organization to help protect children’s health from lead exposure globally.
The International Lead Association, Battery Council International, Association of Battery Recyclers and EUROBAT are joining PECP as part of their joint Material Stewardship Project.
All four associations will work to help ensure children in low and middle-income countries— where regulatory controls are often absent — are not exposed to lead.
They will provide assistance, including pro bono technical support, to help regulators and businesses in low and middle-income countries to adopt global best practices — building on existing projects around the world supported by the ILA and BCI.
The associations have already established a global programme to create a sustainable future by championing best practices in lead mining, lead production, lead battery manufacturing and recycling, and by encouraging responsible practices through supply chain management and product stewardship.
BCI executive vice president Roger Miksad said: “We believe the learnings of the North American industry can be adapted and shared with others through knowledge transfer to improve on-the-ground conditions in many targeted communities.”
ILA managing director Andy Bush said PECP was aligned closely with the association’s own material stewardship activities, “promoting the adoption of safe and responsible battery recycling in all regions of the world”.
EUROBAT executive director Rene Schroeder said PCP “brings the industry’s efforts for sound battery recycling to the next level and we are thrilled to be a part of the campaign”.
Photo: ©UNICEF/UN0288499/Frank Dejongh