FPI seeks to mandate makers, importers of vehicle batteries to recycle toxic wastes

The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) is seeking to mandate producers and importers of vehicle batteries to collect and recycle the wastes from used lead acid batteries (ULABs) and other hazardous wastes.

At a media roundtable in Quezon City on Thursday, FPI chairman Jesus Arranza told reporters that he submitted a position paper to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on September 11 asking Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga to issue a Department Administrative Order (DAO) implementing the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme on ULABs and other toxic wastes, as mandated by the EPR Act of 2022 or Republic Act 11898.

In his position paper, Arranza said that the EPR scheme is necessary for ULABs "because recycling these hazardous wastes requires advanced technical know-how and state-of-the-art facilities that only accredited private recyclers may have."

With this, he said the government should compel the producers and importers of lead acid batteries to collect the used batteries that they’ve sold and transport them to accredited recyclers, consistent with the EPR concept.

"As much as possible, we are pushing for 1 to 1. This means that, as an example, an entity that managed to collect 1,000 ULABs should only be allowed to sell 1,000 brand new batteries as well. We are open, however, to a phased implementation, beginning at 20 percent in the first year, 50 percent in the second year, and 80 percent in the third year," Arranza said.

"We believe that compared to ordinary waste types like plastics currently covered by the EPR implementing rules, ULABs should be treated with more urgency because of their immediate harmful effects on the environment and the people," he said.

The FPI chairman said the issuance of a DENR-DAO will further regulate the entities engaged in the production, importation, and sale of lead acid batteries.

This, in turn, will promote the proper recovery and recycling of ULABs which are considered hazardous wastes, under Philippine laws and their implementing rules, such as RA 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990), RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000), and RA 11898," Arranza said.

The FPI, Arranza said, is also seeking for the issuance of an implementing rules that will mandate the proper recovery and recycling of ULABs.

He said the group is calling for the strict enforcement of the proper collection and recycling of ULABs "by making sure entities engaged in the production, importation, and sale of brand new lead acid batteries will not be able to market their products in the country unless they have satisfactorily proven that they have collected their ULABs and channeled them to accredited recyclers."

He added that regulation will address the "mushrooming" of illegal lead smelters and ULAB recyclers that are now operating despite the harm being done to the environment and the community, including those located in San Simon, Pampanga, Valenzuela, Tarlac, Cavite, and other parts of the country. —KBK, GMA Integrated News