For SIDS-based ELV practitioners out there - whether you're a recycler, exporter or policymaker - sharing a guide on environmentally sound management (ESM) of ELVs produced by the Government of India.

While it is not a SIDS publication, the guideline reviews international frameworks applicable to each stage of ELV recycling (backed by country examples) and strategically builds blocks for a comprehensive framework for ESM of ELVs, spanning: deregistration of vehicles, collection and handling, environmentally sound de-pollution and dismantling, and other responsibilities throughout a vehicle life-cycle.

For ELV recycling on the ground, the guideline is also paired with a separate guideline for Environmentally Sound Facilities for Handling, Processing and Recycling of ELV.

Hi ELV Community, It was exactly midnight in Mauritius when I joined the ELV webinar. It was interesting to hear how things are moving in the SIDS. But I have a feeling that we are missing investments, support, proper regulations, modern infrastructures and tools in the islands. I believe that it is important that operators who are already in this field of biz be given the opportunity and support to upgrade their tools, to acquire new technologies, to be ensured of long term contracts for feasible ROI. Remember that volume is our biggest challenge in the SIDS. Hope that the GGKP will help to make the islands more sustainable.

Here in the Cook Islands, I am particularly interested in solutions to the growing number of older EVs, particularly 2011 to 2013 Nissan Leafs, with batteries approaching the end of their useful life in powering the cars, which are otherwise in excellent condition. I would estimate we have about 10 of these, and will have about 30 at this stage within the next 12 months.

How to get affordable replacement batteries is one issue. I believe in NZ you can get a refurbished battery for $5000 to $6000, though they are not that common. New replacement batteries are over $20,000.

The other issue is how to deal with the old batteries.

Apparently the old batteries are still useful as energy storage for household use in conjunction with solar panels, though we would probably need some technical advice on how that works.

Thank you to everyone who joined our webinar on SIDS-to-SIDS best practice sharing on ELV management!

In case you missed the session, you can watch the recording below.

https://www.gefislands.org/webinar/islands-webinar-sids-sids-best-pract…

? Hello ELV Community!

Thank you so much for having attended our webinar yesterday, it was a pleasure to have so many of you and we really had great questions - which we will try to address here on the community. If you have any additional question, please drop it here.

The recording will be made available soon, in the meantime, please find attached the presentation of Mr Mai on the experience of Belize. We hope this can be useful to everyone!

? ISLANDS Webinar Alert❗

On 24 May the GEF ISLANDS Programme is hosting a webinar on best practices on End-of-Life Vehicles (#ELV) Management in Small Island Developing States (#SIDS).

? Used vehicle import in SIDS has increased in the last decades, due to the growing vehicle ownership and lack of domestic manufacture. The underregulated import of used vehicles led to a steep increase of End-of-life vehicle (ELV) generation.

? But, unless recycled or soundly disposed of, ELVs can release persistent organic pollutants (#POPs), threatening human health and the environment.

Join the webinar to explore the SIDS-specific approaches and lessons learned on ELV management across infrastructure, legislation, private sector engagement, and environmental due diligence.

?The webinar will also launch the ELV Community of Practice, the GEF ISLANDS-hosted space for exchange on safe and sustainable management of ELV.

Register ?https://www.GGKP.org/ZYg

Yesterday the ISLANDS Programme hosted a Working Group Meeting on End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs) on the sidelines of The Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions 2023.

With ELVs becoming one of the most rapidly increasing and threatening waste streams across Small Island Developing States, they pose significant risks - releasing POPs, impacting ecosystems and human health.

The Working Group Meeting discussed the ELV activities in the Caribbean, economic feasibility study in the Pacific, and best practices from Mauritius and Saint Lucia.

Interested? Read the press release to find out more!

Vehicle ownership has gone up massively over recent decades in SIDS, but this also means more and more vehicles are reaching the end of their lives on islands which have limited capacity to dispose of them or dismantle and recycle them effectively. The ISLANDS Programme is supporting SIDS to develop effective recycling regimes with regards end-of-life vehicles as part of its Programme to help reduce the burden of toxic chemicals and hazardous waste in SIDS.

But this work to recover value through recycling should not begin just at the end of the life of a vehicle, it should be written into the design of the vehicles in the first place. This article by Robin Latchem, published on recyclinginternational.com, looks at research that shows that end-of-life processing can start at the beginning of life!