Battery Recycling Poses a Sustainability Challenge

1. Battery Recycling Poses a Sustainability Challenge As technological advancements drive the expansion of electronic devices, battery usage has become universal in our modern lives. Batteries have become indispensable in the current time when smartphones, laptops, and additional electronic devices are abundant in number. This widespread usage of batteries raises numerous environmental difficulties, with battery recycling arising as a critical sustainability challenge. This is directly affecting the complete process of battery waste recycling and, simultaneously, the environment. The Environmental Impact of Batteries Batteries are filled with several toxic elements like lead, cadmium, mercury, and lithium - pushing them to be potentially damaging to human health and the environment without proper disposal. The moment batteries end up in landfills, these chemicals can leach into the soil and pollute groundwater - directing to prolonged environmental damage. On top of that, the extraction and development of raw materials employed in batteries, like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and more, possess their individual ecological footprint. Mining and processing of these materials often incorporate energy-driven and environmentally damaging processes contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and habitat loss. As a result of all these, battery recycling is directly negatively affected. The Electronic Waste Crisis The instantaneous growth of electronic waste, commonly known as e-waste, is a critical global problem. According to the Global E-waste Monitor 2020, the world witnessed a whopping staggering 53.6 million metric tons of e-waste in 2019, with only 17.4% of it being formally documented to be accumulated and recycled. This massive amount of e-waste, which includes discarded batteries, poses a severe challenge to sustainability efforts and affects the rules of EPR India as well. The Need for Effective Battery Waste Rules Battery recycling is an essential factor in controlling the electronic waste crisis and lessening the environmental impact of battery disposal. Recycling not only preserves useful resources like lithium, cobalt, and nickel but also reduces the release of perilous substances into the environment, thereby affecting the circular economy. Proper recycling of batteries also helps decrease the demand for new raw materials, reducing the ecological burden associated with their extraction and processing. Challenges in Battery Recycling Despite the benefits, battery recycling faces several challenges. One of the primary hurdles is the lack of comprehensive and efficient recycling infrastructure in many regions. Proper recycling facilities equipped with specialised technologies are needed to safely extract valuable materials from batteries and dispose of harmful components responsibly. Despite numerous benefits, EPR battery recycling experiences numerous difficulties like Lack of detailed and efficient recycling infrastructure. Thorough recycling facilities affixed with specialized technologies are required to properly extract valuable materials from batteries and dispose of toxic elements responsibly. Source : https://medium.com/@sambhavkaro4/battery-recycling-poses-a-sustainability-challenge- ffe751795238