The first session of the ADB Circular Economy Webinar Series — Managing Used Lead-Acid Batteries (ULABs): Evidence, Country Practice, and Solutions — presents the global context on the use of lead-acid batteries, lead exposure and poisoning, health impacts, and the challenge of safe recycling. 

Lead-acid battery manufacturing accounts for a significant share of global lead consumption, while the one of the major sources of lead pollution is the unsafe dismantling and recycling of ULABs, particularly in many developing countries. To give a simply introduction to the ULAB space, speakers at the session explained the recycling process for these batteries and how they are often in unlicensed or informal settings, without protective gear, and where fine lead particles can escape and travel to nearby communities, affecting people's health, economic potential, and the also the environment.

Dr. Balkrishna Korgaonkar, from Lead-Safe India, presented the health impacts of lead exposure, highlighting that children are most vulnerable and that the problem is global, with use of lead-acid batteries expected to peak in 10 years for low- and middle-income countries. From the Lead-Acid Battery Recycling Initiative, Steph Smith and Tom Daniels shared preliminary findings from an ADB-commissioned study on ULAB recycling and management, which indicated that while collection is often fragmented and informal, smelting is more consolidated in industrial facilities, though some operate without proper licenses or pollution controls. They recommended national standards for dismantling and smelting, better monitoring, and the potential for regional recycling models. 

Meanwhile, James Hu from Coefficient Giving's Lead Exposure Action Fund described their strategy of funding research, strengthening civil society, and exploring multiple solutions to reduce ULAB harm. 

The session concluded with a Q&A where participants discussed the role of local versus national government in enforcement and the high cost of establishing safe recycling facilities, among other ULAB challenges.