engleski

Circular economy - a business model which leans towards a coherent low-carbon economy for battery waste from electric cars

Road transport accounts for approximately one quarter of total global greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, which ranks it second in terms of the rate of emissions into the atmosphere, right behind electricity and heat production. To address this problem, more and more users are choosing to replace their traditional internal combustion engines with battery-powered electric vehicles. The problem in this arises with the increased generation of hazardous waste because of battery waste from electric vehicles. This initiative raises certain issues, among which the one related to the issue of worn-out electric batteries can be highlighted. In the process of battery production, various raw materials and minerals are used which raise the price of the batteries themselves, but also huge amounts of natural resources such as water. Furthermore, after their lifespan, batteries become an environmental issue that requires a great deal of attention because they can cause environmental pollution. The problem that we encounter today with the batteries is that there is the endeavour to create independence from countries rich in raw materials for battery production and reduce the burden on primary production, while on the other hand the complexity of the recycling process makes the whole process questionable, which often requires alternative solutions. One of these solutions is the reuse of worn-out batteries. It is in this segment that the implementation of a new business model is required – a business model which leans towards a coherent low-carbon circular economy that will create a new value chain for its products. The low-carbon closed-loop business model should integrate the threefold goals of positive impact on people, planet and profit. Such a model needs to be developed based on regulation, stakeholder cooperation, research, investment, and incentives leading to global sustainable development goals.

Battery waste ; circular economy ; electric batteries ; value chain

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