Why there is an Immediate Need for Automotive Battery Recycling Today?

There has been a significant growth in the automotive industry over the past few years with persistent technologically advancements, acquisitions, partnerships, and new product launches, especially after the growing prevalence of electric vehicles (EVs) across the globe. Numerous players around the world, including the ones who have started just after the EV boom, are offering their innovative products with pristine features so as to differentiate from their competitors. People across the globe are also increasingly getting inclined towards purchasing electric vehicles due to the immaculate eradication of fuel, affordable prices, enhanced safety and other features of EVs. Hence, the demand for electric vehicles is expected to surge exponentially in the coming years.

According to the predictions provided by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the number of commercialised electric vehicles will surpass 250 million by the year 2030. Thus, when the electric vehicles reach the end-of-life stage, it will be essentially pertinent to advocate safe and secure disposal of the piling battery waste. According to the report published by Research Dive, the global automotive battery recycling market is expected to register a revenue of $19,222.3 million by 2028, growing expeditiously at a CAGR of 8.1% during the forecast period, 2021-2028.

The safety of the battery disposal is prime considerable factor here because lithium-ion batteries are extremely perilous. Unattended batteries that have some amount of charge left in it can quickly catch fire, in certain cases leading to a devastating explosion. Some of the salient components of an EV battery include lithium, cobalt, manganese, and nickel. Their reserves are extensively segregated in countries all across the globe. With a staggering volume of 8 million tons, Chile has the largest lithium reserves in the world. Salar de Atacama, in the northern part of Chile, holds approximately about 40% of the lithium reserves. Thus, Chile is way ahead of China (1 million tons), Argentina (2 million tons) and Australia (2.7 million tons) in terms of lithium reserves. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) accounts for about 60% of the global cobalt supply.

Why Recycling of Automotive Batteries is Important?

One of the major reasons for recycling automotive batteries is for preventing the largescale degradation of the environment. Batteries are extremely harmful for the environment, and hence, when depleted batteries are put into the trash, they eventually end up in pileup landfills where they further tend to decay and leak, adversely affecting the surrounding environment. In addition, the corrosion of batteries contaminates the ground water and surface water due to the harmful chemicals that soak into the soil.

Improper disposal of batteries treacherously affects the human health. Regular exposure to lead and strong corrosive acids present in the batteries can lead to burns and dangers to the skin and eyes. The Agency for Toxic Substance & Disease Registry has confirmed that toxic metals such as cadmium and nickel present in batteries are known human carcinogens.

Another major reason for recycling automotive batteries is that recycling can appreciably help reduce the need for raw materials and further conserve the resources. Raw-earth materials that are used in batteries are non-renewable and indeed costly to mine. Apart from being costly, the mining process leads to the emission of toxic chemicals into the air. Thus, recycling used batteries to meet its surging demand will essentially help us to conserve resources.

The Way Ahead for Automotive Battery Recycling in the Coming Years

The automotive sector will boom in the coming years due to the rapid adoption of electric vehicles among people across the globe due to its affordable costs, creative features, conveniency, and reliability. In addition, growing initiatives taken by government to reach e-mobility by 2030 is expected to increase the demand for automotive battery recycling. Furthermore, persistent innovations and introduction of creative models of electric vehicles will further surge the demand for automotive battery recycling in the coming years.

About the Author(s)

Princy A. J

Princy holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the prestigious Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. University at Chennai, India. After a successful academic record, she pursued her passion for writing. A thorough professional and enthusiastic writer, she enjoys writing on various categories and advancements in the global industries. She plays an instrumental role in writing about current updates, news, blogs, and trends.