In the next few years, demand for lithium-ion batteries is set to explode in South Africa.
The expected promulgation of electric vehicles and electronic consumer goods such as laptops, cameras and Bluetooth earbuds are contributing factors to this state of affairs.
Yet the country does not have a recycling process set in place for lithium batteries.
In a report addressing these circumstances, mineral processing expert Mintek cites low battery collection rates as well as a lack in collection infrastructure as reasons. A lack of financial incentives to boost the electric car market may serve as another explanation.
According to Mariekie Gericke, bio-metallurgy manager at Mintek, sufficient waste volume to warrant the establishment of battery processing facilities would be 500 tonnes per year, unlike the 6-10 tonnes collected in the country in 2019.
Yet interest in the field is growing, as battery waste, which, when not dumped on landfills, is often exported. As European and American battery recycling facilities only accept a certain volume of lithium-ion batteries for recycling, the development of domestic recycling solutions seems unavoidable.