Estimation of Waste Battery Generation and Analysis of the Waste Battery Recycling System in China

Abstract

SummaryChina produces and consumes a large amount of batteries annually, which leads to many waste batteries needing to be recycled. The collection and recycling system of primary, alkaline secondary, and lithium-ion secondary batteries in China is particularly poor, and waste battery recycling enterprises generally sustain economic losses if they solely use waste batteries as raw materials. Increasing the profits of waste battery recycling systems is a key problem that needs to be considered. This article quantitatively analyzes waste battery generation in China by using annual sales data and probable lifetime distribution of various batteries. The results show that the rapid growth of battery usage has led to an increased generation of waste batteries and the percentage of different types of waste batteries is changing over time. In 2013, the total quantity of all waste batteries in the medium lifetime scenario reached 570 kilotons, of which primary, alkaline secondary, and lithium-ion secondary waste batteries accounted for approximately 36%, 28%, and 35%, respectively. Based on a real-world case study of a typical domestic waste battery recycling enterprise in China, material flow analysis and cost-benefit analysis were conducted to study the development of the recycling process of comingled waste batteries. Through scenario analysis, we conclude that increasing the use of waste batteries as raw materials and the recycling of other materials that are less valuable reduces the profits of the waste battery recycling enterprise. Higher profits can be achieved by adding the production of high valueadded downstream products and government support. At the same time, the essential role of the government in developing a waste battery recycling system was identified. Finally, relevant suggestions are made for improvements in both the government and enterprise sectors.

Adaptive Communication for Battery-Free Devices in Smart Homes

“…E-waste reduction -the majority of batteries currently used in houses and offices are eliminated, significantly reducing electronic waste. The study in [15] reports that China produced 570'000 tons of batteries only in 2013; and this value is growing year over year. The reduction of such an amount of waste is imperative, as the toxic metal required to make rechargeable batteries are harmful to the environment.…”

Used Batteries in the Municipal Solid Waste Stream: Management of the Challenges and Heavy Metal Contents

“…Therefore, valuable metal components, A such as cobalt, manganese, and zinc should be recycled in used batteries [4][5][6]. On the other hand, the inappropriate management, and disposal of used batteries cause severe environmental and health damages, especially due to the presence of hazardous heavy metals [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16].…”

“…Moreover, aquifers may be affected by unlined landfills for several years [18]. As mentioned earlier, batteries are composed of several metallic components, including cadmium, lithium, nickel, zinc, copper, lead, chromium, and mercury [7,19,20], and even the trace levels of these elements are extremely harmful to health [9,14,21,22]. Solid waste degradation and leachate production process occur gradually.…”

Progress and Challenges on Battery Waste Management :A Critical Review

“…[9,10] The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [11] reported that the US disposes of more than 180,000 tons of battery waste, including more than 86,000 tons of alkaline batteries and 14,000 tons of rechargeable batteries, each year. [10][11][12] In China, 570,000 tons of battery waste were generated in 2013. As a result, large volumes of battery waste are causing serious health and environmental concerns.…”