By Raj Kumar
Waste segregation at the source is crucial for the effective recycling and disposal of battery waste. The lack of separation, collecting, and transportation of unsegregated mixed garbage to landfills has an influence on the environment. The amount of rubbish that ends up in landfills is reduced when waste is segregated. When batteries are separated and processed separately, pollution of the land and water can be significantly reduced. Battery waste must be separated so that it could be properly disposed of.
Going further, waste generation has escalated dramatically in recent decades around the world, with no indications of decreasing. According to Statista, The global Li-ion battery recycling market size was valued approximately 1.3 billion US dollars in 2019 and is predicted to grow to approximately 11 billion US dollars by 2027. This sector’s market size was expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of roughly 32% between 2020 and 2027. This is attributable to a variety of variables like population increase, urbanization, economic growth, and consumer buying preferences.
Battery Waste can be effectively segregated
Humans generate millions of tonnes of waste each year, and this is becoming a big concern around the world. With such massive amounts of waste being generated, the necessity for officials to provide proper waste collection and disposal solutions have become increasingly critical. However, according to Statista reports, only about 20% of waste is recycled every year, with vast amounts still being disposed of in landfills. Waste is also frequently disposed off in hazardous dump sites, particularly in underdeveloped countries. Richer countries generate more trash than poorer nations, but have stronger waste management systems to help with these difficulties.
Waste segregation essentially implies that less waste goes to landfill, which is less expensive and better for individuals and the planet. Segregation of garbage is also vital for public health. Hazardous wastes, in particular, can create long-term health problems, therefore it is critical that they are dealt with correctly and safely, and not mixed up with regular waste from home or office.
Different types of batteries are frequently utilized in daily life, and a big number of waste batteries will be generated. Waste batteries will seriously pollute the environment. Currently, the most common waste battery treatment procedures include incineration and landfill, solidification treatment, manual sorting, wet recovery technology, dry recovery technology, and bio-metallurgical technology. Existing laws also expressly prohibits the mixing of hazardous waste or POPs waste – garbage containing high amounts of persistent organic pollutants — with either other hazardous waste or non-hazardous waste.
The following are the advantages of proper waste segregation for businesses:
Reduced Waste Costs: Mixing waste streams can be expensive. Due to chemical and biological pollutants, hazardous trash and general waste are significantly more expensive to dispose of than dry mixed recycling. As a result, combining clean recyclable things with hazardous garbage eventually costs more to dispose off.
Increased Recycling Rate: Waste segregation techniques and a workforce that understands the value of rubbish sorting keep recyclable goods from being thrown away with general waste.
Potential Revenue Streams: Waste sorting allows the identification of precious materials such as metals, cardboard, and plastics and generates a rebate value through the generated trash.
Reduced Landfill Impact: By segregating the garbage, individuals can recycle more goods and keep them out of landfills. This, in turn, minimizes the overall ill effects of garbage on the environment.
There are various types of batteries, and each type of battery has its own method of recuperation and treatment. They contain a variety of toxic and corrosive substances such as lead, lithium, mercury, and cadmium. All types of batteries have a high recycling rate. Domestically, they should be kept separate and disposed off with caution. Organizations such as Deshwal Waste Management (DWMPL) are attempting to devise more reasonable methods to increase the recovery and usage of metal components in waste batteries, as well as to limit waste battery pollution to the environment. DWMPL’s recycling process allows for safe and efficient battery waste treatment, with more than half of the battery material available. Lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries are dealt with individually. The batteries are separated into their corresponding parts.
Post-collection segregation takes more time, costs more, and can harm the environment if recyclable material is disposed off in a landfill. The simplest method to handle this situation is to prevent it from occurring in the first place by practicing good on-site battery waste segregation. Waste segregation is critical because it is necessary to separate solid, semi-solid, liquid, biodegradable, and non-biodegradable wastes so that they can be disposed of separately based on their nature.
(The author is CEO, Deshwal Waste Management Pvt Ltd (DWMPL), Views expressed are personal and do not reflect the official position or policy of the FinancialExpress.com.)