Partnership for Battery Action
Lead poisoning is one of the biggest barriers to child development. We can solve this.
THE CHALLENGE
Lead poisoning affects 1 in 3 children globally.
Even small amounts of lead permanently damage a child’s developing brain. Across a generation, that adds up to millions of lost IQ points and trillions of dollars in lost economic potential. Despite this, lead poisoning receives a fraction of the attention and funding compared to other major diseases.
We can eliminate one of the largest sources of lead poisoning.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Lead battery recycling facility in a lower income country versus a higher income country.
Lead batteries are in cars, motorbikes, backup power systems, and solar storage. When they’re recycled improperly, they poison the workers and families nearby.
This problem has already been solved in many countries. We know what standards and practices are needed to recycle batteries safely. The barrier to progress on this issue in lower income countries is the market: unsafe recycling remains profitable.
We’re working to eliminate lead poisoning from battery recycling by 2040.
Unsafe recycling persists not because the safe alternative is out of reach, but because the market currently incentivizes cutting corners on safety.
By changing this, we can prevent millions of children from the devastating effects of lead poisoning on their health, education, and livelihoods.
OUR VISION
We’re making safe recycling the more profitable option.
WHAT WE DO
If we can reshape the market forces that currently favor cheap, polluting recycling practices, we can protect future generations from lead poisoning. We’re working to accelerate the transition to safer battery recycling facilities globally in four ways: research, standards, transparency, and incentives.
OUR PARTNERS
We work with other NGOs, researchers, governments, and industry because eliminating one of the largest sources of lead poisoning will only happen through cross-sector collaboration. If you fund, regulate, buy, recycle, or research lead, we want to hear from you.
We have identified some of the top questions holding back progress on improving the safety of lead-acid battery recycling, and are releasing a series of RFPs to move the field forward. See our latest opportunities here.