Blog Post 4

 Blog Post 4

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1.  The actions that can be done at a national and/or global scale to reduce lithium waste pollution are pretty broad. There is just not enough known about what goes into lithium products (due to company secrecy), not enough research, and not enough people know about the impact it has on the environment for a whole breakdown of lithium products yet (Katwala, 2018). At a global scale, there needs to be a matching desire to reduce lithium waste as there is for lithium resources. Most countries in general are failing at this, as while the demand for lithium is just skyrocketing currently, there almost only seems to be a diaspora of economics or who gets how much lithium made/produced more than the other. However, as someone who genuinely scours the web for truthful information regarding China (which there is barely at all in the mainstream news web), there is to be a lot said for China and its journey to find a way(s) to recycle lithium batteries to lessen the environmental cost. While I could go on about the leaps and bounds China has made environmentally that cannonballs the US and other developed countries, I’ll try to make it brief. First, let’s talk numbers, as China decimates the rest of the world, and more, in terms of lithium-ion battery recycling with a whopping 219,650 tons of them being recycled just in 2021 alone (Olano, 2022). Research has proven this year, that weaning off of lithium-ion resources is possible, understandably taking some time and intense research, but still possible. There are new alternatives to some ingredients in these batteries that can be switched with more efficient/more “green” alternatives, as well as sulfur-ion batteries that are being researched right now (Kalra, Singh, & Tang, 2022). Recycling lithium products itself in China has become a huge business now, with China controlling most of the worlds lithium-based recycling efforts and even leading some in places like Canada and South Korea on how to initiate efforts like the ones they have (Boteler, 2018; Deign, 2019). To go back to alternatives for a second, China is developing several alternatives to the lithium part of the battery and the ingredients that go into it. Some examples are the sulfur-ion battery as previously mentioned, others are the sodium-ion battery and the elimination of cobalt-free battery (a very expensive, labor-exploitative [child labor being common], source-limited ingredient to mine/process)(Hui, 2021; Bonifacic, 2021; Katwala, 2018). Other businesses are just rethinking and researching ways how to use batteries that have already been used themselves and selling it as ore and being used to create other lithium-related products (Bloomberg News, 2021; Boteler, 2018; Deign, 2019). Nationally, China is a shining example of what the beginning stage processes are for recycling lithium more safely, efficiently, and less environmentally-damaging. This example comes mainly through their new policies regarding extended producer responsibility, or (EPR), that put more political, financial/economical, and social pressure on companies to

“set up “interim” rules requiring manufacturers to establish supply chains for recycling and set up service outlets where old batteries can be collected, stored and transferred to specialist recyclers. They must also establish a network for consumers to conveniently repair or exchange batteries.

The extended responsibility also includes developing ways to track who discarded batteries belonged to, and providing technical training for car makers to store and dismantle spent batteries.”

In the past, American companies and the government have sidelined the

project due to America’s one-sided economic conflict with China, having not 

enough resources/actual lithium to do such, or because they did not want to reduce consumer packaging waste on its own initiative (Energy.Gov, 2021; Boteler, 2018). However, EPR is one easy way for the US to start nationally reducing lithium waste. Although the US Government says it is ready to consider it, US foreign policy on China, America’s system of capitalist empowerment of corporations over the good of the people, and its sluggishness (or its historical recendiary attitudes) on environmental progress will most likely make EPR a fantasy, rather than a reality (Energy.Gov, 2021).

2.  I guess the only actions at a local level are through educating the public of the environmental impact that lithium waste has and especially in landfills. The idea that used lithium products can be just melted down at recycling plants is very complex, with a lot of short-term strategies, but not a lot of long-term ones. Whether that comes from a locality’s waste department, or from some other information source, the impact of lithium once it is used and/or thrown out needs to be understood by the general public who use such items on a daily basis. One other thought is possibly a tax on the companies who import lithium-containing products, but most-likely they would just push that tax onto their customers, which would cause major pushback from most denizens. These ideas mostly, though, apply to American standards. However, the most important action that must be taken is to just alert a locality’s citizens of the impact these products have once their considered “waste”.

3. At the moment, there are not any real environmental impacts that can be made at home or individually. There just has not been enough research allowed or done that has yet found a 100%-sure way to recycle or lessen the impact of lithium waste. If anything, the only advice I would give is to not fall for the trick that iPhones, laptops, or any product containing a lithium battery are easy to take care of once used up/thrown out.  

4. As addressed a little bit in my blog post, the need for storage for renewable energy is a current issue with the market and demand for such energy. There is an interesting article from The New Yorker that explains more into detail about the general effects it has on not just lithium-battery-making, but also other forms of renewable energy as well. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/04/25/the-renewable-energy-revolution-will-need-renewable-storage. Here also is the most recent Apple environmental report for its iPhone 13 and recent announcements on its committal to finding more “green” alternatives. https://www.apple.com/environment/pdf/products/iphone/iPhone_13_PER_Sept2021.pdf (iPhone 13); https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/04/apple-expands-the-use-of-recycled-materials-across-its-products/ (alternatives announcement)

Hutson, M. (April 18, 2022). The Renewable-Energy Revolution Will Need Renewable Storage. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/04/25/the-renewable-energy-revolution-will-need-renewable-storage. 

Katwala, A. (May 8, 2018). The Spiraling Environmental Cost of Our Lithium Battery Addiction. Wired UK. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/lithium-batteries-environment-impact. 

Pai, R., Singh, A., Tang, M.H., & Kalra, V. (February 10, 2022). Stabilization of gamma sulfur at room temperature to enable the use of carbonate electrolyte in Li-S batteries. Communications Chemistry, Volume 5 (17), 1-11. https://www.nature.com/articles/s42004-022-00626-2.  

Olano, M.,V. (June 17, 2022). Chart: China is trouncing the US on battery recycling. Canary Media. https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/batteries/chart-china-is-trouncing-the-us-on-battery-recycling. 

Shumei, L. (July 14, 2022). Company in Qinghai produces eco-friendly sanitary products with innovative material to support local sustainable development. Global Times. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202207/1270586.shtml. 

Bloomberg News. (October 25, 2021). China’s Next EV Advantage Is a Mountain of Retired Batteries. Bloomberg. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2021-10-25/china-ev-battery-life-cycle-is-coming-full-circle-with-recycling. 

Hui, M. (August 2, 2021). Chinese battery giant CATL’s bet on sodium is a hedge against lithium. Quartz. https://qz.com/2041051/chinas-catl-unveils-sodium-ion-battery-to-diversify-from-lithium/. 

Bonifacic, I. (August 30, 2021). Chinese battery maker says it's ready to produce cobalt-free EV power packs at scale. Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/svolt-colbalt-free-battery-scale-production-234534595.html. 

Vehicle Technologies Office. (April 6, 2021). Reducing Reliance on Cobalt for Lithium-ion Batteries. US Department of Energy.https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/articles/reducing-reliance-cobalt-lithium-ion-batteries.

Boteler, C. (March 1, 2018). China places battery recycling responsibility on car manufacturers. Waste Dive. https://www.wastedive.com/news/china-battery-recycling-responsibility-car-manufacturers/517978/.

Deign, J. (September 11, 2019). How China Is Cornering the Lithium-Ion Cell Recycling Market. Greentech Media. https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/how-china-is-cornering-the-lithium-ion-cell-recycling-market.