Beyond The Environment Horizon: Battery Waste, Recycling, And Sustainability Ecosystem
The dawn of the 21st century brought seismic changes to the way human beings functioned. A surge in technology led to the advent of numerous electronic devices which have now become an integral part of our daily lives. Whether it's a cell phone to facilitate quick communication or laptops to enable mobility at work, our dependence on electronic devices continues to grow.
While these modern marvels run away with all the limelight, little attention is given to the all-important batteries powering our favorite electronic devices. As the need for modern-day gadgets continues to grow, the demand for batteries, too, has witnessed a massive increase in recent years.
Just like gadgets, batteries have also come a long way since its inception back in time. Today, the modern-day batteries have shrunk, new materials have been incorporated and they are made to last longer with enhanced storage of energy. But, one thing that hasn't changed is a battery's concerning impact on everything we hold dear. And, with the consistent rise in its demand, keeping batteries in check has become the need of the hour.
Implications of Battery Waste
The growing usage of electronic devices and subsequent production of batteries has added to the problem of hazardous battery waste. While it may seem harmless to throw depleted batteries in the bin, the unethical practice only adds to the growing problem. Whether it's alkaline, lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries, each one of them contains hazardous, toxic and corrosive materials like mercury, lithium and lead.
It's the combination of toxic substances in the batteries that demands their ethical disposal in a bid to eradicate the chances of contaminating soil, air and waterways. If not handled properly, the hazardous battery waste is at risk of being mixed, combined or contaminated with other potentially polluting wastes, products, materials or packaging. This, in turn, can lead to serious ramifications on humans, animals and the environment as a whole.
Need for Battery Recycling
While persistent efforts are being made to process battery waste ethically and reduce its effects on the environment, it still remains an uphill battle for governments across the globe. As the situation becomes dire by the year, recycling batteries has been credited for making a dent, if not turning the tide in our favor.
The material recovery from recycling batteries can not only reduce its negative impacts on the environment, but it can also contribute towards the lucrative market of recycled materials. For instance, Lithium-ion batteries are now considered a strategically valuable waste stream containing relatively valuable metals such as cobalt, nickel or lithium. These are of significant value, especially in light of the shrinking global supply of critical materials.
On the other hand, material recovery is also one of the key ways of being less dependent on raw mining elsewhere or to protect the country's own small reserves. Thus, understanding the importance of recycling batteries and educating people about how to do it can surely result in continued benefit for our environment as well as reduced strain on landfills.
A Sustainable Future for Batteries
Batteries have emerged as a promising tool to facilitate our transition from the current reliance on fossil fuels towards a more sustainable power supply. The introduction of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries has been fundamental in revolutionizing consumer goods across nearly all sectors. It is also expected to be critical in reducing carbon emissions during transport by enabling battery-powered electric vehicles. However, looking at the Lithium-ion batteries' life cycle, there are growing concerns over a substantial sustainability problem.
Experts have voiced concerns that challenges surround the future Li-ion batteries, not only because the raw materials required for the current battery chemistry are scarce and rarely sourced sustainably, but also due to its current battery manufacturing and end-of-life disposal practices which are far from sustainable. This is why there is a greater emphasis on defining a path towards greening batteries.
In a bid to move away from the dependency on rare elements like lithium and cobalt, industry leaders are persistently trying to focus on more abundant elements on earth in a bid to find solutions to sustainability. For instance, Sodium-ion batteries, whose first generation recently hit the market, are heralded as one of the potential alternatives to Li-ion batteries. Zinc batteries are also grabbing eyeballs for large-scale energy-storage applications alongside benefits in terms of cost, safety, capacity and chemical stability as well as environmental compliance.
As the focus on new, green energy intensifies, the battery industry is expected to undergo consistent changes. Although there is still a long way to go before green ambitions for batteries are finally realized, the work, to eventually make it a reality, must start now.
