Sustainability of lithium ion batteries

Are lithium ion batteries sustainable?

Lithium ion batteries, which are typically used in EVs, are difficult to recycle and require huge amounts of energy and water to extract. Companies are frantically looking for more sustainable alternatives that can help power the world's transition to green energy.

Can second life & recycling influence the energy and environmental sustainability of lithium-ion batteries?

Second life and recycling of retired automotive lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have drawn growing attention, as large volumes of LIBs will retire in the coming decade. Here, we illustrate how battery chemistry, use, and recycling can influence the energy and environmental sustainability of LIBs.

How can recycling improve the sustainability of lithium ion batteries?

Developing recycling technologies that are both economically and environmentally favorable can largely enhance the sustainability of LIBs. Recycling can in turn reduce the energy consumption and emissions during the virgin battery production.

Does battery chemistry affect environmental sustainability?

Here, we illustrate how battery chemistry, use, and recycling can influence the energy and environmental sustainability of LIBs. We find that LIBs with higher specific energy show better life cycle environmental performances, but their environmental benefits from second life application are less pronounced.

Is lithium-ion battery manufacturing energy-intensive?

Nature Energy 8, 1180–1181 (2023) Cite this article Lithium-ion battery manufacturing is energy-intensive, raising concerns about energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions amid surging global demand.

Why do lithium-ion batteries need to be recycled?

"Recycling a lithium-ion battery consumes more energy and resources than producing a new battery, explaining why only a small amount of lithium-ion batteries are recycled," says Aqsa Nazir, a postdoctoral research scholar at Florida International University's battery research laboratory.