We came across an article on BBC Future Planet about recycling old lithium batteries, and exploring sustainable answers. We can’t say for certain how many lithium batteries factories are churning out daily, except there must be millions. Global warming reminds us not to ignore our environmental responsibilities. With that said, its time to consider some challenging lithium battery questions.
Challenges Questioning Lithium Battery Sustainability
Full electrification of transport is no longer a pipe dream. Renewable electricity generation is expanding as we write. Neither of these would be possible without powerful batteries. Lithium batteries currently hold most of the cards. Having sufficient stocks of the relatively rare metal is becoming increasingly critical, and we should re-use as much as we can.
Lithium Batteries Are Difficult to Recycle
Battery recycling traditionally involves crushing and shredding materials into powder, which is then decomposed, separated, and re-used. But you can’t do that with lithium batteries without risking an explosion. Besides, this method is complicated, and can be more expensive than mining fresh resources.
Lithium Raw Material Mining Wastes Water
Fresh, natural water is a precious resource that we dare not waste, especially as evaporation increases with global warming. Mining a single ton of lithium metal consumes half a million gallons of water. There’s evidence that this activity links across to vegetation loss, higher daytime temperatures, and increasing drought in national reserves.
Lithium Battery Recycling – Question is When
We should not simply reply to the challenge by answering lithium recycling is simply too tough. Or by pointing out that 5,000 North Americans consume 500,000 gallons of water a year. The lithium battery questions we pose are far more deep-reaching than that.
We could largely reverse the negative effects of lithium battery mining, including energy consumption, by recycling spent lithium batteries. This would also reduce our reliance on fresh stocks of the relatively rare metal. We can no longer treat lithium metal as disposable. We must find answers for the mounting stocks of spent lithium batteries soon.
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Recycled Lithium Cathode Outperforms New
