The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) is calling on government to look into the illegal export of lead scraps usually obtained from used lead-acid batteries (ULAB).
FPI chairman Jesus Arranza said export of lead scraps is prohibited under Republic Act (RA) 6969 or the “Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990” and its implementing rules outlined in Department Administrative Order (DAO) 2013-22 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Arranza said this also goes against the country’s commitment to the Basel Convention.
But citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Arranza said a sizeable amount of lead scraps that are considered hazardous waste have been exiting the country annually.
“As a matter of policy, export of hazardous wastes like lead scrap and ULAB is not allowed when the country of origin has the capability to recycle them,” he said.
Locally, Arranza said Evergreen Environmental Resources Inc. operates state-of-the-art recycling facilities for ULABs in Bulacan.
Arranza added DENR has not issued export clearance to any company for lead scrap.
Citing PSA data, Arranza said 8,500 tons of lead waste and scrap were exported by the Philippines from January to August last year.
Arranza said there is also no record if these exported lead scraps are in the form of ULABs or were merely separated from used auto batteries.
But since scrap lead is mostly obtained from ULABs, Arranza said this means these illegal exporters managed to get their hands on a big volume of old batteries.
Using the PSA data as basis, these illegal exporters are probably collecting around 500,000 pieces of ULAB at an average weight of 15 kgs per unit.
This, Arranza noted, has dire implications economic and environmental-wise.
“We don’t how these exporters are handling and dismantling their ULABs, which are hazardous wastes,” Arranza stressed.
