by Molly StephensonSustainable Batteries: Powering the Future

Su tainable Batte ie : Powe ing the Futu e by Molly Stephenson

Single-use batteries are filling landfills, degrading the environment, and threatening the health of those who produce them. Batteries often cause chemical leaks which can lead to runoff, contaminating natural bodies of water. And because the chemicals used to make traditional batteries break down slowly, many chemical reactions with harmful byproducts occur during the process. Moreover, many chemicals are also dangerous to mine or extract, posing a humanitarian issue as the industry threatens the physical wellbeing of workers tasked with mining for these resources. With a movement towards sustainability and environmentalism, sustainable batteries provide a new way to use power.

Sustainable batteries provide an eco-friendly alternative to traditional batteries as they are recyclable, rechargeable, and the materials used to produce them are sustainably mined.

The oldest type of rechargeable battery is the lead battery, first developed in 1859. Lead batteries have been used to power cars, forklifts, marine equipment, and more. Lead is a heavy metal and in batteries is commonly alloyed with calcium, antimony, tin or selenium. Lead batteries have a 100% recycling rate and those produced today are comprised of 80% recycled material. However, lead batteries can be difficult to use for the average consumer. They must be charged with a specific voltage before storage and can’t be overcharged. Lead batteries also have to release pressure at times and can easily leak toxic acid.

Another type of rechargeable battery, the aluminum battery, is in the early stages of development and isn’t available to the general market yet. Theoretically, aluminum batteries offer high energy density and many environmental benefits, making them an effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries, which are used in many personal electronics but pose their own dangers. Energy density is the amount of energy a chemical or compound can hold for the amount of space. W h i l e t h e s e bat - t e r i e s are still in the e a r l y stag - es of development and probably won’t be available for commercial use for a while, they’re a promising solution to the issue of battery waste.

Lithium-ion batteries, while useful, are harmful to the environment. These batteries are rechargeable and are used in portable devices like mobile phones because they are lightweight and have a high energy density. However, they are expensive to recycle and often end up corroding in landfills. And there is no safe way to dispose of lithium-ion batteries, posing a threat to the environment and people living near landfills.

Another potential material for sustainable batteries could be synthetic polypeptides. While prototypes haven’t been made yet, there is a strong theoretical background for the battery. Using the structure of the polypeptides and polymers, these batteries could be manipulated to hold more energy from sustainable resources. The batteries would be made of organic-based materials and therefore wouldn’t cause as much harm to the environment. But because synthetic polypeptide batteries are far from being sold in the commercial market, there is very little information about what these bat - teries c a n d o a n d research phase. But innovation in this field is driven by the goal of replacing the harmful lithium-ion batteries that are in phones, computers, and many other portable devices with a battery possessing a higher energy density than a lithium-ion battery, which would make them a valuable investment and allow the batteries to reach the commercial market.

Theoretical Model of an Aluminum Battery

whether they can realistically replace lithium-ion batteries.

IBM is also working on a new sustainable battery with materials extracted from seawater. According to IBM, these batteries have a higher energy density than lithium-ion batteries and charge quickly, making them ideal for electronics as the battery would require less space for the same amount of power. Although the battery still contains lithium, it is extracted in a safer and more sustainable way than traditional mining methods.

The future of sustainable batteries is still hard to see as many up-and-coming products are still in the early