Developing recommendations for technical standards and a licensing scheme for the management of lead-acid batteries in Ethiopia

At the start of the project (2020) Ethiopia is one of the fastest growing economies of Africa and will experience a rapid increase in battery deployment in the next decade. While the use of batteries serves multiple development goals, there is concern that current waste management systems cannot cope with end-of-life batteries. Concerns are particularly pronounced for rural off-grid areas where waste management systems are underdeveloped and not suitable to handle hazardous waste such as used lead-acid batteries (ULABs). In that context, the Ethiopian Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission (EFCCC) with support of GIZ / EnDev initiated a policy process to improve the management ULABs in Ethiopia. This project aimed at supporting the development of regulative framework and a licensing scheme for the sustainable management and recycling of lead-acid batteries.