Using the best scrap to produce new items sounds like a lot of potential and magic. I fully understand the attractiveness of,** and may even become a key tool in some areas of climate technology.
I've written about the use of basically every climate technology you can think of, including solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, etc.
*：stephanie arnett/mittr | envato）
In a recent article I wrote, I mentioned the materials needed to power magnets for electric vehicles and wind turbines.
Through my research, I was once again struck by the stark reality that while climate technology faces a huge material shortage, it is far from enough to solve it alone. So, why doesn't ** always solve the problem? Are there any other measures?
There is a shortage of materials
At present, humans are building far more climate technology products than ever before, which means that there are not enough waste and abandoned items that can be discarded.
The development of clean energy technologies has undoubtedly brought benefits to climate action, but it has also brought difficulties to the use of **.
Solar panels, for example, tend to last for at least 25 or 30 years, after which their ability to efficiently convert solar energy into electricity is lost.
As a result, the solar panels available today** were installed at least 20 years ago (only a small fraction of them are damaged or need to be removed sooner).
In 2000, the total amount of solar energy installed in the world was just over 1 GW (yes, 2000 was almost 25 years ago). As a result, today's leading companies compete with each other for relatively few materials.
If these companies can stick with it, they will eventually have plenty of solar panels available. In 2023, more than 300 GW of new solar power will be generated.
This gap is also one of the common challenges used in other technology areas**. In fact, more and more battery companies are facing a shortage of materials.
It's important to start building the infrastructure now** to prepare for the inevitable peak of solar panels and batteries**. At the same time, the best business can also open up ideas in terms of material procurement channels.
The main material for battery manufacturers is manufacturing scrap, but they can also be found in other product areas, such as rare earth metals from electric vehicle motors and wind turbines, which can be found in old iPhones and laptops.
Close the loop
Even if the new technology doesn't end up growing as expected, there's another problem: no process is perfect.
Problems in the process start at the stage of collecting old materials (think of how old iPods and flip phones in your drawer can accumulate dust), and even if the materials are successfully sent to the center, some of them will eventually be abandoned because they have broken down or are not economical in the process.
The exact amount of material that can be used depends on the material, process and economic benefits. Some metals, such as silver in solar cells, can reach 99% or higher.
Potentially greater challenges for other materials include lithium in batteries, with Redwood Materials saying in 2023 that its process can produce about 80% lithium from used batteries and manufacturing waste, and nothing else.
I don't want to be as pessimistic as Debbie Downer.
Even if the process is not perfect, it can still help alleviate the material needs of many future energy technologies. By 2050, the mining of metals such as neodymium could be halved or more by the use of rare earth metals.
But many areas of climate technology will have to wait decades before there is enough recycled material. At the same time, many companies are struggling to find more widespread and cheaper alternatives.
About the author: Casey Crownhart is a climate journalist for MIT Technology Review, focusing on renewable energy, transportation, and how technology can combat climate change. She has also worked as a freelance science and environmental journalist, writing for Popular Science and Atlas Obscura, among others. Prior to journalism, she was a researcher in materials science.
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