On the outskirts of Guadalajara, amongst the commotion of food stalls, street vendors and open air markets, children play on the earthen streets.  In the heat of the Mexican sun, they find shade by the wall of an old factory.  What those children don’t know is that the factory, Acumuladores de Jalisco, is a recycler of spent lead acid batteries and the dirt the children are kicking up in their games is poisoned with lead.

Elsewhere, near Naucalpan de Juarez, a baby named Mariel Landeros, began developing seizures in her first months of life.  The sudden onset of her affliction led Mariel’s family to suspect Industrial Mondelo, a battery recycler situated across the street from their home. Fearing for her safety, Mariel’s parents took her to the National Institute of Pediatrics in Mexico City.  Test results showed significant levels of lead in her blood.  At four months Mariel showed 24.8 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood.  It only takes 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood to impact cognition, slow development and permanently harm a child.

These scenes, described in the New York Times, are repeated throughout Mexico on a daily basis.  Last year, more than 754 million pounds of American car, truck and boat batteries were exported to Mexico to be recycled.  Many of those batteries ended up in poorly regulated, inefficient facilities at the direct expense of the environment, health and safety of Mexican communities like Guadalajara and children like Mariel.

Each year, America’s largest retailers and auto service centers contribute to this problem by failing to recycle spent lead batteries domestically.  Every battery exported to Mexico puts a child like Mariel in danger.  Exportation also removes feedstock from domestic scrap battery supply, reducing domestic smelter capacity which threatens American jobs.
You can help end the practice of SLAB exports by supporting SLAB Watchdog.  Help SLAB Watchdog send a clear message to large American retailers: be a steward of the environment, protect communities from toxic waste, and defend American jobs.  Stop exporting to Mexico and Recycle your scrap batteries in the United States.  

Sign the petition to Stop Exporting Toxic Batteries to Mexico NOW!

The signers of this petition call on the following retailers to stand up for responsible car battery recycling that protects the environment and creates green jobs at home. We urge you to end this practice by demanding that batteries from your fleets and automotive service centers are recycled by U.S. facilities adhering to the strictest EPA and OSHA standards.

Walmart
Sam's Clubs
Sears
K-Mart
Meijer
BJ's Warehouse
Costco
Pep Boys
Blain's Farm + Fleet
Jiffy Lube
Firestone Auto Centers
Meineke Car Care