Amanda Greyfield November 29, 2023 Feature
Technology advancements and energy consumption are constantly on the rise. Talks of sustainability and a green world are on everyone’s lips. The problem isn’t that we all want to be green; the problem lies in how we get there. One company is not only talking the talk but walking the walk: Evolve Materials.
The company, based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, is working hard to provide solutions that make it easy for various consumers to recycle the precious elements in their batteries, thereby cutting down on waste and creating a “greener” world, but what is truly remarkable about what they are doing is ensuring that, as a nation, we continue to grow more energy independent.
The Value of Recycling Batteries
Evolve Materials hopes to educate consumers on the value of those batteries that they once put in the trash or shipped off to other countries. Dr. Wesley Tennyson, CTO of Evolve, elaborates, “A battery that has been consumed and used still has all the same materials that it had originally. There’s no loss of value. It may have lost acids, or ability to recharge making it no longer usable, but the atoms inside are the same as they were before, essentially.”
He explains. “It’s an awful shame if we just throw that in the ground again, in a dump, when we really should be recycling.” The value lies not only in recognizing the significance of these materials and the environmental impact of their disposal, but also in understanding that they still have value in our energy economy.
Unlike older battery technologies, lithium-ion batteries contain materials with inherent worth, including cobalt, lithium, nickel, aluminum, and iron. Some of the materials are rarer than others. Traditionally, we have relied on foreign sources for many materials in batteries that aren’t as readily available. By recycling, we can become less dependent on those resources and sourcing them from other countries. Likewise, “We keep it (batteries) in America; it decreases the miles that it would have to travel. It’s already cutting carbon emissions by not getting shipped from another country,” explains Keely Sage, a process engineer at Evolve.
Dr. Tennyson adds, “If we let somebody else recycle it overseas, we have to ship it there. We have to ship it back after they’ve recycled it. And so if we do it here, it’s better. Also, it’s more resilient because we don’t have to deal with the constraints of shipping.”
CEO and founder, Mike Vogel, explains, “The US is leading the push to invest and grow its local battery manufacturing supply chain, essential for America’s energy independence. Our focus is to ensure that sustainably recycled battery materials are available and are being reused in the manufacture of new battery cells.”
The Consumer Journey
Consumers often find themselves with used batteries, trying to figure out what to do with them. “The default option, regrettably, is to dispose of them, contributing to environmental harm,” Dan Loper, Evolve’s Business Development Manager, explains. “We seek to change this habit by offering a better way.”
From auto enthusiasts, electric vehicle owners, to environmental service companies, power generators, and consumers in various sectors can all contribute towards sustainability by working with Evolve Materials. Loper adds, “For those who find themselves with piles of batteries, there is a responsible alternative. By sending them to Evolve, consumers can ensure that these valuable resources are not wasted.”
Dealing with Hazardous Electrolytes
Everyone can agree, ‘Yes! Let’s recycle our batteries.” However, some challenges in battery recycling relate to hazardous electrolytes. These materials, when mishandled, can lead to fires and environmental disasters. To address this, Evolve Materials takes a meticulous approach to safely crushing and recycling batteries, mitigating the risks associated with flammable components.
Regulators have recently clarified requirements surrounding the recycling of lithium-ion batteries in response to safety concerns. These changes have reclassified lithium processing as hazardous, imposing extra work and expenses on recyclers. Given the number of battery related fires at waste management facilities in the previous year the regulation changes are likely intended to increase the caution used when processing batteries with the end goal of prevention.
The team at Evolve Materials is confident in how they are addressing each hazardous challenge that batteries present and have a patent-pending low emissions recycling technology that will help pave the way for evolving and renewing materials for our energy economy.
Solving for X and Y
“The world is shifting to electrification. We have everyone on a mission to go green, and we are helping to build innovative technology, systems and infrastructure to make the local battery supply chain fully functioning,” Dr. Tennyson explains. “The overall fact of the matter is that there’s a great deal of technology coming, but the whole marketplace solution has to be solved.”
He continues, “Maybe the underlying point of this whole system is that people think we’ve electrified this world; we have an electric car, and now everything will work fine. Well, did we build all the systems needed to have a fully functioning supply chain? Do we have a fully fleshed out system for continuous recycling of key battery materials?”
In other words, electric cars are great, solar-powered homes are extraordinary, LED light bulbs are fantastic, but ensuring that those tools, concepts, and devices can be regenerated, recycled or reused is equally essential. “We need to build robust systems that mainly are conscious of the impact on the environment in terms of emissions and safety, as well as being responsive to consumer needs.”
Dr. Tennyson sums it up nicely. As a nation, “we still have work to do to build a sustainable supply chain and to make lithium battery recycling green. Part of this means building a green recycling system, and part of this means building every aspect of this continuous loop and circular economy to make the system work.” This is what the team at Evolve Materials is doing.
Evolve Materials is committed to building low emissions sustainable recycling systems and infrastructure that are environmentally conscious and responsive to consumer needs. They recognize that true sustainability is only achieved when every aspect of the system is designed with the environment and consumers in mind. Their commitment to innovation and ethical responsibility paves the way for a cleaner, greener future.
Originally featured in New York Weekly
Evolve Renewable Materials featured in New York Weekly: https://nyweekly.com/feature/evolve-renewable-materials-inc-the-transformation-of-battery-recycling-for-energy-independence/
