The lithium batteries we deem unfit to be used in electrical autos may nonetheless comprise copious quantities of usable, pure lithium we might retrieve and reuse—a doubtlessly constant, bountiful provide we’re simply not making an attempt arduous sufficient to faucet into, a brand new examine suggests. In a examine revealed August 14 within the Journal of Environmental Administration, researchers at Edith Cowan College (ECU) in Australia argue that tapping into the leftover lithium in used batteries might gas a realistic, sustainable various to lithium mining. Shockingly, the lithium batteries that find yourself in landfills retain practically 80% of their lithium capability—nonetheless very a lot usable. Other than the clear environmental benefit, recycling lithium batteries might additionally deliver a big selection of socioeconomic advantages, the paper states. The paper, a complete evaluation of the worldwide lithium provide chain, evaluates the efficacy of lithium extraction from mining and recycling. Mining stays the dominant technique for lithium restoration, however its environmental impression alone must be purpose sufficient to ultimately transfer away from it, the researchers defined in a press release. Recycling, in contrast, might provide way more bang for our buck. First, recycling processes produce round 61% much less carbon than mining whereas utilizing 83% much less vitality and 79% much less water.
“By recycling these batteries, you’ll be able to entry not solely the remaining lithium—which is already purified to close 99 p.c—however it’s also possible to retrieve the nickel and the cobalt from these batteries,” added Asad Ali, examine lead writer and a postdoctoral pupil at ECU, within the assertion. Ideally, such recycling amenities wouldn’t be as demanding on the pure setting as mining, he mentioned. Once more, we now have too many idle batteries mendacity round, the researchers famous—and that offer is barely anticipated to develop. The worldwide lithium-ion battery market is predicted to develop at an annual price of 13%, and we’re projected to devour roughly 1,600 kilotons of lithium by 2026. In Australia alone—the place the researchers are based mostly—a authorities report estimates that lithium battery waste might quantity to 137,000 tons annually. With the appropriate investments in infrastructure, tapping into this useful resource might create a brand new, worthwhile area of interest within the vitality sector, mentioned examine co-author Sadia Afrin, additionally a postdoctoral pupil at ECU. Nevertheless it’s an space that should develop alongside the technological developments of industries that depend on lithium, she added.