Costa Rica & Venezuela
Environmentally sound management of spent lead acid batteries in Central America and the Caribbean

Project Proponents

Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, El Salvador and the Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean Region, Trinidad and Tobago. The project will support country projects in Costa Rica and Venezuela.

National Implementing Organization

Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for Central America, San Salvador and the Regional Centre for Training and Technology Transfer for the Caribbean Region, Trinidad. National teams in Costa Rica and Venezuela.

Summary

Several Parties to the Basel Convention in Central America and the Caribbean have expressed concern over the issue of the sound management of spent lead acid batteries at the national level as well as at the sub-regional level. Sound conditions of the recycling of the spent lead acid batteries, the need to consolidate and strengthen the recycling market in the sub-region, control of their transboundary movements in the sub-region in the context of the Basel Convention, the need for affordable and environmentally sound recycling technologies have been identified as specific areas requiring action in order to prepare effective policies that will facilitate economic development as well as ensure that human health and the environment are protected. The proposed project aims at bridging the information gap that national authorities and the private sector experience in relation to policy tools, economic and technical requirements for the development of a regional recycling approach utilizing the best available technologies. The small size of the related market in the target countries and the need for regional co-operation have been recognized as important parameters in the preparation of the project. The Country Project reports will become a resource tool for the CBTF to support: research on integrated assessments of trade and trade policy; other country projects; and policy dialogue activities. In addition, it will be disseminated as a reference source through the CBTF networking and information exchange mechanisms.