News -

Global Battery Alliance forms to fight growing waste of precious materials.

Waste is at an all-time high in the technology industry when it comes to battery production, consumption and throwaway.

To stop the waste in its tracks, some of the world’s largest business leaders in manufacturing, energy, and technology have come together to fight the careless expenditure of batteries that has begun to run rampant.

At the 2017 World Economic Forum Sustainable Development Impact Summit 2017, the Global Battery Alliance was launched. This Alliance contains a combination of international organizations and NGOs planning to “put an end to the social and environmental impacts driving the growing trade in batteries for smartphones, gadgets, electric vehicles and renewable energy storage systems” (sustainablebrand.com 2017).

Meeting the demands of consumer’s expectations of batteries used in their technology, while transitioning to a less impactful supply chain, is no easy task.

“Analysts have estimated that a 12-fold increase in battery capacity is needed to meet growing consumer demands and the transition to a low-carbon economy. The market is expected to reach $100 billion by 2025 and batteries installed in homes and businesses will account for 57 percent of global energy storage capacity by 2040” (sustainablebrands.com 2017).

In order to meet these demands, battery recycling must become a more streamlined-circular process. The current method for throwaway contains little to no strategy for recirculation, whatsoever. Stated by Dominic Waughray, Head of Public-Private Partnerships for the World Economic Forum, “All the electronic waste we discarded in 2014 was worth $52 billion. It contained 300 tons of gold and significant amounts of silver and palladium”.

If the production and consumption of batteries containing such valuable elements continues at the rate it is today, the world’s supply chain and the environment are going to be in for a rude awakening. The saddest part of this all is, the production of these valuable minerals that make up our smart phones comes at the expense of child labor and individuals with lesser socio-economic means.

The Global Battery Alliance’s presence couldn’t have materialized at a more critical time. 

READ INSPIRATION FOR THIS ARTICLE HERE

Related links

Topics

  • Finance

Contacts

Related content

  • UPS develops Supply Chain Technology to meet US Drug Industry's needs

    “With the technology, the company says stakeholders across the board will have streamlined, standardized visibility into pharmaceutical shipments. When a customer makes an inquiry, the technology can tell when the shipment came in, when packages went out, what serial numbers made up that order, and more” (healthcarepackaging 2017).

  • Supplier Relationship Management: Here is your Checklist for Supply Chain Success!

    Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) is management system and methodology widely accepted amongst procurement and supply chain management professionals. It serves as a backbone for collaboration between buyer and supplier, during activities such as, but not limited to, pre-contracting, selection, contracting, production, post-production and review/evaluation.

  • IKEA takes action to assure worker rights.

    IKEA is a company that understands sustainable development doesn’t solely reside within CO2 emissions or supplier training, but within the stability, health and rights of all its stakeholders; employees included.

  • 3D Printing could begin Reshaping Business

    Though 3D printing hasn’t yet made it’s stamp on mainstream supply chain production, it’s capabilities for disruption to the market are undeniable.

  • What is ESG? How can it elevate Supply Chain Management?

    Supply Chain Management, as a domain, includes activities deeply entrenched in strategy, regulations and standards. Without these standards — and proper strategies for implementing them into daily supply chain activities — supply chain risks would materialize a lot more often than they do.

Enter your email address to follow Kodiak Rating

When you choose to create a user account and follow a newsroom your personal data will be used by us and the owner of the newsroom, for you to receive news and updates according to your subscription settings.

To learn more about this, please read our Privacy Policy, which applies to our use of your personal data, and our Privacy Policy for Contacts, which applies to the use of your personal data by the owner of the newsroom you follow.

Please note that our Terms of Use apply to all use of our services.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by unsubscribing or deleting your account.
Check your inbox

Email sent to __email__. Click the link there to follow Kodiak Rating.

Okay