New Method Destroys PFAS in Batteries, Boosting Recycling
Affiliate Disclosure
Hey fellow impactful ninja ?
You may have noticed that Impactful Ninja is all about providing helpful information to make a positive impact on the world and society. And that we love to link back to where we found all the information for each of our posts.
Most of these links are informational-based for you to check out their primary sources with one click.
But some of these links are so-called "affiliate links" to products that we recommend.
Why do we add these product links?
First and foremost, because we believe that they add value to you. For example, when we wrote a post about the environmental impact of long showers, we came across an EPA recommendation to use WaterSense showerheads. So we linked to where you can find them. Or, for many of our posts, we also link to our favorite books on that topic so that you can get a much more holistic overview than one single blog post could provide.
And when there is an affiliate program for these products, we sign up for it. For example, as Amazon Associates, we earn from qualifying purchases.
What do these affiliate links mean for you?
First, and most importantly, we still only recommend products that we believe add value for you.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission - but at no additional costs to you.
And when you buy something through a link that is not an affiliate link, we won’t receive any commission but we’ll still be happy to have helped you.
What do these affiliate links mean for us?
When we find products that we believe add value to you and the seller has an affiliate program, we sign up for it.
When you buy something through one of our affiliate links, we may earn a small commission (at no extra costs to you).
And at this point in time, all money is reinvested in sharing the most helpful content with you. This includes all operating costs for running this site and the content creation itself.
What does this mean for me personally?
You may have noticed by the way Impactful Ninja is operated that money is not the driving factor behind it. It is a passion project of mine and I love to share helpful information with you to make a positive impact on the world and society. However, it's a project in that I invest a lot of time and also quite some money.
Eventually, my dream is to one day turn this passion project into my full-time job and provide even more helpful information. But that's still a long time to go.
Stay impactful,
At Impactful Ninja, we curate positive and impactful news for you. Follow us on Google News or sign up for our free newsletter to get these delivered straight to your inbox—just like our expert roundup below!
📰 The quick summary: Researchers have found a way to effectively destroy harmful PFAS chemicals found in lithium-ion batteries, paving the way for safer battery recycling and environmental protection.
📈 One key stat: Australia generates over 3,000 tonnes of lithium-ion battery waste each year, and currently only 10% of it is recycled, highlighting a critical need for improved waste management.
💬 One key quote: “Much higher temperatures of 1,000°C and above are needed to break down bis-FASIs completely into harmless products.“
1️⃣ The big picture: Lithium-ion batteries are everywhere—from smartphones to electric vehicles—but they come with a major downside: they can leak toxic chemicals known as PFAS into the environment. Researchers have discovered a new type of these chemicals, bis-FASIs, that are particularly challenging to handle. With Australia only recycling a small fraction of its battery waste, there’s a pressing need to develop effective methods for dealing with this hazardous material. Recent advancements in understanding how to incinerate these chemicals safely represent a significant step toward a more sustainable approach to battery recycling.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: By effectively destroying bis-FASIs, this research not only promises to improve the safety of battery recycling but also protects the environment from toxic contamination. The potential for increased recycling rates could lead to significant recovery of valuable metals, contributing to a circular economy. Moreover, avoiding landfill disposal reduces long-term environmental risks and costs. This initiative encourages the development of safer design alternatives for future batteries, benefiting both consumers and the planet.
3️⃣ What’s next: The next phases involve collaborating with recycling plants to implement the new incineration guidance and ensuring that recovered materials are free from PFAS. Testing will be crucial to verify the safety of the recovery process and the final products. Continued efforts will focus on enhancing recycling methodologies and potentially shifting toward safer battery designs that eliminate the use of such harmful chemicals.
Read the full story here: The Conversation – Taking the ‘forever’ out of ‘forever chemicals’: we worked out how to destroy the PFAS in batteries
