There was breaking news on China Daily this morning. The Asian giant has been struggling get a handle on a growing mountain of used batteries. But this situation could change, as China tightens the screws on recycling used batteries. The domestic market could be worth the equivalent of US$14 billion this year, and that’s a huge pile of batteries.
China Government Turbocharges Battery Recycling
The State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), has approved five new national standards, aimed at strengthening the technical infrastructure. “China has become both a major producer and user of power batteries. We are about to enter a phase of large-scale retirements,” a SAMR director told China Daily.
However, this may not prove to be an easy challenge for China, from where we sit at least. The current 820,000 tons of spent batteries could become 4 million tons by 2028. It is therefore high time that China tightens the screws on recycling, and that, we believe goes for Western nations too.
This burgeoning crisis is becoming a ‘tsunami’, as the mass of spent electric vehicle batteries gathers momentum. The materials in these batteries are relatively scarce, and environmentally expensive to remove from Earth’s crust. Just like the rest of us, China faces several stubborn challenges.
Challenges Facing China’s Revised Recycling Program
SAMR has now issued 22 national standards regarding battery recycling and reuse, according to China Daily. However, despite all this effort we understand the giant Asian nation only recycles 50% of its spent batteries, including those in ‘illegal workshops’.
The new rules focus on management, and control over residual-energy-testing, dismantling, and recovery of lithium-ion waste. Chinese provinces are supporting this program on a practical level. Interestingly, SAMR is translating these documents, apparently hoping they are adopted globally.
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