A new initiative named the “Partnership for Responsible Battery and Metal Recycling” is set to commence in Nigeria to enhance battery recycling practices, improve labour and environmental standards, and establish sustainable trade flows for raw materials.
Within Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria has one of the biggest recycling industries for lead-acid batteries.
The project involves collaboration between partners from Nigerian civil society, the metal processing industry, the solar industry, and the research and consultancy organization, the Oeko-Institut.
They aim to develop a cooperative approach to responsibly recycling lead-acid batteries.
Close coordination is maintained with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Environment and the Nigeria Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency.
The project focuses on providing knowledge in environmental protection and occupational safety for recycling plants, enhancing environmental performance and safety, and training plant managers.
The Oeko-Institut and industrial partners are actively contributing expertise to facilitate the responsible recycling of batteries.
The project also involves the development of concepts for introducing and monitoring binding standards for environmental protection and occupational health and safety in collaboration with Nigerian regulatory authorities.
In addition to improving recycling practices, the initiative aims to initiate cooperation with other sectors, including the solar industry and the packaging industry, to ensure environmentally sound solutions for used batteries.
According to reports, the global and German metals sector is interested in promoting ethical supply chains for secondary raw materials.
The project, which is backed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH and funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, aims to improve Nigeria’s recycling environment.