This year, a pilot project was able to successfully ship lithium-ion batteries from Nigeria to Europe for recycling. Closing the Loop, Amsterdam, partners with electronic scrap collection networks in Africa to recycle those materials. For the pilot, Closing the Loop wanted to ship lithium-ion batteries sourced specifically from Nigeria to Europe in a way that was safe. Closing the Loop released a white paper on the project looking into the opportunity for urban mining for end-of-life cellphone batteries and at how a new circular business model can facilitate this.
“The ability to source materials from old electronics can have immense impacts, including a reduced need for mining materials, particularly conflict minerals,” the white paper states. “The main learnings presented in this paper involve the development of a collection network, incentive creation and collaboration. The results of the pilot project are important for learning the whole industry.” The white paper reports that the issue of electronic scrap ending up as waste in low- and middle-income countries is becoming a bigger problem. The report says e-scrap generation is growing in those countries with few options for recycling and repair.
Closing the Loop says it was successful in its pilot project. Through the project, 5,000 kilograms (or about 11,000 pounds) of batteries were sourced and shipped from Nigeria to the port of Antwerp, Belgium. Those batteries are estimated to contain at least 1,250 kilograms (or about 2,750 pounds) of cobalt. Closing the Loop reports that the batteries were received by a recycler to be recycled back into materials that will be used for new batteries eventually. Additionally, the project involved the informal sector in Nigeria in the collection process, leading to more income generation for the local community.
Source: Recycling Today
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