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International Review of Waste Management Policy - Department of ...

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25.2.3.2 South America<br />

Perhaps surprisingly, Brazil has developed a very progressive position on battery<br />

waste. The National Environment Council (Conselho National do Medio Ambiente -<br />

CONAMA) has, in 2008, replaced the country’s 1999 rules on the environmental<br />

management <strong>of</strong> batteries. There are considerable similarities to the European<br />

Directive – limits on cadmium and mercury in batteries broadly mirror the EU<br />

thresholds, manufacturers and importers are required to register with the Federal<br />

Technical Registry <strong>of</strong> Potentially Polluting Activities, and labelling requirements are<br />

comparable.<br />

In addition, manufacturers and importers have to present the national environment<br />

enforcement agency (IBAMA) with a report <strong>of</strong> the chemical composition <strong>of</strong> batteries<br />

issued by a laboratory accredited by the national technical standards institute<br />

(INMETRO). Furthermore, Article 17 <strong>of</strong> the Resolution says that IBAMA, “based on<br />

proven and reasoned facts, may request, following its own criteria, sample lots <strong>of</strong><br />

batteries, <strong>of</strong> any kind, produced or imported for marketing in the country” for pro<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />

compliance with the heavy metal limits, utilizing labs that are a signatory <strong>of</strong> the<br />

<strong>International</strong> Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation accords. The costs <strong>of</strong> such tests<br />

are to be met by the manufacturer or importer.<br />

In addition, under Article 3, all national manufacturers and importers <strong>of</strong> batteries<br />

must present IBAMA with a waste management plan, defined as an “environmentally<br />

adequate set <strong>of</strong> procedures for the discard, segregation, collection, transport, receipt,<br />

storage, handling, recycling, reuse, treatment or final disposal”.<br />

Going even further, under Article 19, manufacturers and importers <strong>of</strong> batteries<br />

covered by the Resolution must conduct studies on substituting or further reducing<br />

“potentially hazardous toxic substances” contained in their batteries.<br />

Other countries in South America have taken steps to follow Brazil’s lead, namely<br />

Columbia, Argentina, Paraguay.<br />

25.2.3.3 Japan<br />

Since the early 1980s Japan became aware <strong>of</strong> the environmental pollution impacts <strong>of</strong><br />

waste batteries in landfill and incineration. The use <strong>of</strong> mercury in manganese<br />

batteries was stopped in 1991 and in the following year in alkaline batteries. This has<br />

enabled significant reductions to be made in the amount <strong>of</strong> mercury used in batteries<br />

sold in Japan.<br />

At the same time Japan has established a comprehensive separate collection system<br />

for batteries and associated recycling infrastructure. In fact, Japan imports mercury<br />

containing wastes from several nearby countries including Thailand and the<br />

Philippines. 544 Many municipal authorities now participate in the Liaison Meeting for<br />

the Amalgamated Treatment <strong>of</strong> <strong>Waste</strong> Batteries.<br />

544 Law for the Promotion <strong>of</strong> Effective Utilization <strong>of</strong> Resources<br />

http://www.meti.go.jp/english/information/data/cReEffectLe.pdf<br />

464<br />

29/09/09

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