Lead Acid Batteries (“LAB”) are considered the most cost-effective, safe, and environmentally friendly form of power storage. LAB is comprised of three main components: lead, acid and plastic, which are separable and recyclable.
LAB is considered one of the most recyclable resources with over 80% recyclability, and its usage has been growing rapidly.
LAB are commonly known and used as car / vehicle batteries. Besides the transport sector, growth of LAB usage predominantly comes from standby power storage such as Uninterrupted Power Supply (“UPS”). Almost all industries that need stable electricity supply use LAB as back up power.
- Automotive Battery
- Standby Battery
- Motive Battery
At the end of its life cycle, waste LAB (or WLAB) becomes a toxic chemical waste and requires proper treatment. Any form of disposal of WLAB by way of export or landfill is generally strictly prohibited and regulated by international and local safety ordinances.
If not disposed of properly, WLAB can result in devastating consequences on rural soil and water systems, particularly in a densely populated city such Hong Kong.
LAB are different from lithium, alkaline, zinc and/or other common batteries. Presently, HKBR does not have the capability to treat non-LAB batteries. Different types of batteries must be treated separately due to differences in their composition.