Environmental Science Report: Battery Commodity Lifecycle Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the commodity lifecycle of batteries, beginning with their origin in chemical manufacturing plants and the extraction of raw materials like nickel-plated steel, manganese oxide, and zinc. It explores the various uses of batteries in everyday life, from household appliances to mobile devices, emphasizing their essential role in modern society. The report also examines media perspectives on batteries, particularly regarding advancements and sustainability. It then details the hazardous nature of battery disposal, including the presence of lithium and lead, and the necessity for proper disposal through hazardous waste collection centers or recycling programs. Finally, it discusses sustainability measures, such as the potential use of aluminum as an alternative to lithium and cobalt, increasing battery lifespan, and expanding their usability to reduce waste and promote recyclability. The report references several studies and patents to support its findings.

Running head: COMMODITY LIFECYCLE OF BATTERIES 1
Commodity Lifecycle of Batteries
Name
Institution Affiliation

COMMODITY LIFECYCLE OF BATTERIES 2
Origin
Batteries are made in chemical manufacturing plants in the United States. The cell
cylinder is mainly nickel-plated steel that is extracted from different metals. There is a separator
that then divides the cathode from the anode and is made of synthetic material made from
polymers such as petroleum-based chemicals. The batteries consist of manganese oxide,
graphite, and potassium hydroxide which are the primary components that make up the cathode.
These elements are metals extracted from the ground. The anode in most cases consists of zinc
powder, and potassium hydroxide electrolyte also extracted from the earth. The materials are
obtained mainly through mining (Johnson, 2018).
Uses/Purchase/ Relationship to the Commodity
The product can be purchased from all the retail points across the country including the
malls, supermarkets, and local shops. There are some of the retailers that have specialized in
selling batteries alone such as Battery Mart in the United States. Cells are portable sources of
energy and hence can be put into a variety of uses on a daily basis. Around the house I use the
batteries in the remotes, weighing scales, in my digital camera and many home maintenance
tools. My laptop and cell phone also use batteries, and I use them frequently every other day. I
am attached to this commodity since I need it most of the time.
Media view
The media views the product as an essential commodity in the daily lives of the people.
With this, the media is always reporting on any advancement made to improve the product’s
performance. The press expects that the scientist should pick up the matter and work on
advancing the sustainability of the batteries to function better. More so the press sees the need
for more research to be conducted on the product to ensure the safety of the users. The media is

COMMODITY LIFECYCLE OF BATTERIES 3
also used as the principal channel for advertising the different battery brands in the market place
hence promoting its use among the citizens (Blomgren, 2017).
Disposal
The batteries are known to be hazardous as they contain lithium and lead which can cause
a danger to the environment. In this case, therefore, they must be disposed of to a hazardous
waste collection centers. From this point, some municipals may take them back to the
manufacturing plants for recycling. Alternatively one can choose to take the batteries at
particular recycle points where they are transformed and put back to use. There are different
electronics retailer, recycling centers and community drop off locations where the batteries can
be taken for recycling. The last option that one can use to dispose of the cells is by donating them
to refurbish (Majeau-Bettez et al., 2011).
Sustainability
There are various ways through which the batteries can be made more sustainable.
Research has shown that aluminum can be used as an alternative to lithium and cobalt as the two
can quickly explode and also dangerous when swallowed. Aluminum is highly abundant, and it
is non-toxic and not at any risk of exploding (Walter, 2018). They are cheaper to produce and
hence will be more affordable to the population. Increasing the life span of the batteries is also
essential in reducing the waste that is discarded. More flexibility to increase the number of uses
that a cell can perform should also be made. With this people will find them more useful and also
it will be easier to recycle (Yoon, 2018).

COMMODITY LIFECYCLE OF BATTERIES 4
References
Blomgren, G. E. (2017). The development and future of lithium-ion batteries. Journal of The
Electrochemical Society, 164(1), A5019-A5025.
Johnson, C. S., Xiong, H., Rajh, T., Shevchenko, E., & Tepavcevic, S. (2018). U.S. Patent
Application No. 15/922,596.
Majeau-Bettez, G., Hawkins, T. R., & Strømman, A. H. (2011). Life cycle environmental
assessment of lithium-ion and nickel metal hydride batteries for plug-in hybrid and
battery electric vehicles. Environmental science & technology, 45(10), 4548-4554.
Walter, M., Kravchyk, K. V., Böfer, C., Widmer, R., & Kovalenko, M. V. (2018). Polystyrenes
as High‐Performance Cathode Materials for Aluminum Batteries. Advanced Materials,
30(15), 1705644.
Yoon, J., Merriman, R., & Yang, H. (2018). U.S. Patent No. 9,960,395. Washington, DC: U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office.