Scientists at the

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have come up with a waste-to-resource approach that includes fruit peel waste to turn old batteries into new ones. The concept was demonstrated using orange peel, which recovered precious metals from battery waste efficiently. These recovered metals were then used to make functional batteries.

The advantages of waste management for the environment and business modules are becoming ever more well-known. However, what does waste management hold in store? Momentarily, tons of rubbish are produced, and the world still doesn't completely know how to effectively handle this enormous quantity of waste. Everyone can agree that the labor-intensive, hand-picked rubbish collection methods are ineffective. Appropriate waste management encompasses all trash-related activities from origin to ultimate disposal and is one of the major services provided by municipalities or numerous businesses dealing with waste and upholding a circular economy to promote the health and happiness of inhabitants. The rise in hazardous waste, which requires careful handling to avoid potential hazards, is one of the primary reasons why we want effective waste management. This is but one of the most important details.

An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food waste and 50 million tonnes of e-waste are generated globally. This new approach tackles both food waste and electronics waste, supporting a circular economy with zero waste. Professor Madhavi Srinivasan, co-director of the NTU Singapore-CEA Alliance for Research in Circular Economy (NTU SCARCE) lab, said: “Current industrial recycling processes of e-waste are energy-intensive and emit harmful pollutants and liquid waste, pointing to an urgent need for eco-friendly methods as the amount of e-waste grows. Our team has demonstrated that it is possible to do so with biodegradable substances.” 
“These findings build on our existing body of work at SCARCE under NTU’s Energy Research Institute (ERI@N). The SCARCE lab was set up to develop greener ways of recycling e-waste. It is also part of the NTU Smart Campus initiative, which aims to develop technologically advanced solutions for a sustainable future.”

Spent batteries are conventionally treated with extreme heat (over 500°C or 930°F) to smelt valuable metals, which emit hazardous toxic gases. Alternative approaches that use strong acid solutions or weaker acid solutions with hydrogen peroxide to extract the metals are being explored, but they still produce secondary pollutants that pose health and safety risks or rely on hydrogen peroxide which is hazardous and unstable.

Assistant Professor Dalton Tay of the NTU School of Materials Science and Engineering and School of Biological Sciences said: “In Singapore, a resource-scarce country, this process of urban mining to extract valuable metals from all kinds of discarded electronics becomes very important. With this method, we not only tackle the problem of resource depletion by keeping these precious metals in use as much as possible but also the problem of e-waste and food waste accumulation – both a growing global crisis.” Scientists first oven-dried the orange peel and ground it into powder. They added citric acid to the powder. The cellulose found in orange peel was converted into sugars under heat during the extraction process. These sugars enhance the recovery of metals from battery waste. Naturally occurring antioxidants found in orange peel, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, could have contributed to this enhancement as well. Scientists observed that the concept extracted around 90 percent of cobalt, lithium, nickel, and manganese from spent lithium-ion batteries during the lab experiment. Scientists then assembled new lithium-ion batteries from the recovered material—these batteries showed a similar charge capacity to commercial ones. Further research is underway to optimize the charge-discharge cycling performance of these new batteries made from recovered materials. Scientists are also looking to improve further the performance of their batteries generated from treated battery waste. Prof Madhavi, who is also from NTU’s School of Materials Science and Engineering and ERI@N, said: “This waste-to-resource approach could also potentially be extended to other types of cellulose-rich fruit and vegetable waste, as well as lithium-ion battery types such as lithium iron phosphate and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide. This would help make great strides towards the new circular economy of e-waste, and power our lives in a greener and more sustainable manner.”


Takeaway ~ Household waste Management In the Research and Development Domain Is Very Crucial : 

• The advantage for the environment

Trash disposal pollutes the air, water, and soil and has a direct negative influence on the ecosystem. In addition to lowering greenhouse gas emissions, waste management also enhances the state of any place impacted by the waste and the quality of the air and water.

• The advantage to health

Over time, waste and pollutants affect the surrounding animal life, industrial workers, and the health of the exposed adjacent populations. Strict waste management procedures that guarantee safe and appropriate disposal of garbage might help prevent such problems.

• The financial gain

Although waste management techniques are costly, they help with recycling. Purchasing non-recycled material for industrial usage is more expensive in the long term than utilizing recycled material.

• The advantage of employment

The complexity of waste management stems from its potential scope. The need for labor would provide job possibilities all around the nation.

• The advantage of energy

Industries are forced to consume fewer resources from the planet while producing new materials because of the energy produced by some waste management techniques.

• The gain in efficiency

Good waste management practices guarantee that incidents that might endanger people, animals, birds, or other environmental factors due to poor garbage management don't happen.

To sum up, Waste management’s future includes turning waste into energy, IoT-enabled practices, improvement in monitoring systems, data collection, and many more technology-based advancements. The team is now looking to further improve the performance of their batteries generated from treated battery waste. They are also optimizing the conditions to scale up production and exploring the possibility of removing the use of acids in the process. Globally, an estimated 50 million tons of e-waste and 1.3 billion tonnes of food waste are produced. This innovative strategy supports a circular economy with zero waste by addressing both food waste and electronic waste.