A new study shows how much better for the planet it is to recycle batteries, and it could change the way electric vehicles and more are made.
The Stanford University paper details the environmental impact of battery manufacturing and recycling and how the industry can shape its future in the United States, per a news release.
The analysis compared mining virgin materials and the process of creating a lithium-ion battery from scratch to recycling the components of used batteries and sourcing scrap. The former requires 35,000 miles of transport, while the latter — in a theoretical future with optimally placed refining facilities — needs just 140.
The recycling process would produce less than half of the heat-trapping gases of traditional mining and refining and use one-quarter of the energy and water.
Even better, employing scrap from dead batteries and defective materials uses just 11% of the energy and 12% of the water of conventional mining and processing and generates 19% of the polluting gases.
"This study tells us that we can design the future of battery recycling to optimize the environmental benefits. We can write the script," senior author William Tarpeh said.
This is important because the ability to mine and use virgin metals is in question. Tarpeh said cobalt, nickel, and lithium streams will dry up in the next decade and that the economic value of lithium-ion batteries — which is 10 times higher than lead-acid batteries — presents a golden opportunity. The U.S. recycles 99% of the latter and 50% of the former, according to the release.
"For a future with a greatly increased supply of used batteries, we need to design and prepare a recycling system today from collection to processing back into new batteries with minimal environmental impact," he said. "Hopefully, battery manufacturers will consider recyclability more in their future designs, too."
The researchers used data from the model industrial recycling facility operated by Redwood Materials in Nevada. It uses reductive calcination instead of pyrometallurgy to avoid the need for super-high temperatures and burning dirty fuels, and the method also allows it to extract more lithium.
|
Should companies be required to help recycle their own products?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 👍 The development of similar processes and other breakthroughs could help speed up the timeline for the full buildout of the battery recycling industry.
TCD Picks » Quince Spotlight
💡These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
"Every time we spoke about our research, companies would ask us questions and incorporate what we were finding into more efficient practices," third lead author Xi Chen said. "This study can inform the scale-up of battery recycling companies, like the importance of picking good locations for new facilities."
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
