Mastodawn

To complete its green transition, Europe should mine its own trash. Lithium in old batteries.

Cobalt in discarded electronics. The rare earths in retired wind turbines. A landmark EU-funded study finds these buried materials could supply over half of what the clean energy economy will need.

https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2026/06/to-complete-its-green-transition-europe-should-mine-its-own-trash/

#sustainability #europe #trash #lithium #cobalt #mining

To complete its green transition, Europe should mine its own trash

Lithium in old batteries. Cobalt in discarded electronics. The rare earths in retired wind turbines. A landmark EU-funded study finds these buried materials could supply over half of what the clean energy economy will need.

Anthropocene

The-14 May 23

Rush for critical minerals harming world’s poorest
#CriticalMinerals #Mining #Environment #Africa #ClimateChange #WaterCrisis #HumanRights #DRC #Lithium #Cobalt #Pollution #GlobalSouth #GreenEnergy #Sustainability #WaterSecurity #RareEarth
https://the-14.com/rush-for-critical-minerals-harming-worlds-poorest/

Rush for critical minerals harming world’s poorest | The-14

The global rush for lithium and cobalt is polluting water, harming health, and deepening inequality in vulnerable mining regions worldwide.

The-14 Pictures

Kraken May 19

🟡 Military Seizure | 8/10
🇨🇩

Military-backed intruders seize part of major cobalt deposit in DRC
Bloomberg reports military-backed intruders have taken over a large part of a major cobalt deposit in the DRC, threatening the commercial viability of one of the world's largest cobalt operations. The intruders, protected by Congolese soldiers, are hauling away waste material.

#OSINT #NewsGroup #DRC #Cobalt #ResourceConflict

DoomsdaysCW May 17

Scientists achieve massive breakthrough on an alternative to #LithiumIon batteries — why this 'significant advancement' matters

by Laurelle Stelle, January 13, 2026

"Researchers have recently discovered a way to make an efficient battery out of #zinc — an inexpensive, commonly found metal — instead of the #RareMetals used in lithium batteries.

"Most rechargeable batteries today are lithium-ion batteries, which include other metals like cobalt and nickel, Tech Xplore reports. As electric vehicles (#EVs) and large-scale energy storage get more common, we'll need more and more of those metals — but because they're uncommon, the costs are often massive.

"Many researchers are working on cheaper battery options to reduce or replace these metals. One Chinese company has created a car powered by a #SodiumBattery, and a University of Maryland researcher has invented a partly #BiodegradableBattery made of zinc and #CrabShells. Researchers have even found not one but two ways to store energy in ordinary #sand.

"According to Tech Xplore, this new project, led by Xiulei 'David' Ji of Oregon State University, offers yet another alternative to lithium-ion batteries: accessible, efficient zinc metal batteries.

"The secret is a new electrolyte developed by Ji and his team, Tech Xplore explains. A battery electrolyte is a liquid inside the battery that helps aid the chemical reactions to store and release energy.

"Unfortunately, past electrolytes in #ZincBatteries were not very efficient. Much of the energy stored in the battery was previously used up in extra, unwanted chemical reactions. Not only did that mean the battery couldn't release as much energy as it had put into it, but it also generated dangerous hydrogen gas. This meant that zinc wasn't practical for #RechargeableBatteries.

"Ji's team has created a new electrolyte formula that almost eliminates these unwanted reactions, Tech Xplore reports. It forms a protective coating on the zinc component of the battery that prevents that type of energy loss. A similar protective coating is what allows lithium-ion batteries to release more than 99% of the charging energy. The new zinc battery releases 99.95% of the energy it is charged with on each cycle.

"Not only is the zinc battery efficient, but it's also safer than a lithium-ion battery, according to Tech Xplore. The new electrolyte isn't flammable, while the ones used in lithium-ion batteries often are combustible. Both zinc and the components of the electrolyte are also cheaper and more common than the materials used in lithium-ion batteries.

" 'The breakthrough represents a significant advancement toward making zinc metal batteries more accessible to consumers,' Ji told OSU News and Research Communications. "These batteries are essential for the installation of additional solar and wind farms. In addition, they offer a secure and efficient solution for home energy storage, as well as energy storage modules for communities that are vulnerable to natural disasters.

"Thanks to the work of Ji and his team, Tech Xplore suggests rechargeable zinc batteries are likely to hit the market in the near future."

Source:
https://tech.yahoo.com/science/articles/scientists-just-made-massive-breakthrough-121500329.html

#SolarPunkSunday #LithiumBatteryAlternatives #ZincBatteries #BiodegradableBatteries #CrabShells #Cobalt #Nickel #Lithium #Technology #TechnologyBreakthrough

Scientists achieve massive breakthrough on an alternative to lithium-ion batteries — why this 'significant advancement' matters

"This is a significant breakthrough."

Yahoo Tech

DoomsdaysCW May 17

#Winemaking acid powers cleaner way for cobalt-nickel recovery from #BatteryWaste

Scientists use #TartaricAcid and electrowinning to split #cobalt and #nickel from battery waste for cleaner #recycling.

By Neetika Walter
Mar 11, 2026

"Scientists have developed a cleaner way to separate cobalt and nickel from lithium-ion battery materials using an electrochemical technique boosted by a naturally occurring acid commonly associated with wine.

[...]

"The researchers say the approach could be particularly useful for '#UrbanMining,' the process of recovering valuable #minerals from discarded #electronics and spent #batteries. Countries with limited mining resources are increasingly looking to #recycling to secure supplies of critical materials.

" '#Electrowinning’s edge in urban mining gives us a practical pathway to turn battery waste into a valuable resource for cobalt and nickel, while also helping the United States reduce its reliance on foreign supply chains,' Liu says."

Learn more:
https://interestingengineering.com/energy/bioacid-electrowinning-cobalt-nickel-battery-recycling

#SolarPunkSunday #Technology #TechnologyBreakthrough #LionBatteries #BatteryRecycling #CriticalMinerals

Bioacid-powered process pulls cobalt, nickel from old batteries

Wine-making acid helps scientists separate cobalt and nickel from battery waste using electrowinning technology.

Interesting Engineering

Golda Velez May 13

finally carving out time, to try to comment on the UNTP traceability docs - if anyone is in #supplychain, #drc #congo #cobalt human rights, now is the time to comment. Need to make sure the OECD guidelines will be enforceable! untp.unece.org/docs/specifi... www.oecd.org/content/dam/...

oecd.org/content/dam/oe...

Technical Specifications | UN Transparency Protocol

The UNTP specification defines a suite of interoperable digital credentials and discovery mechanisms that, together, enable verifiable supply chain transparency at scale. Each credential type is independently implementable and targeted at a specific supply chain role, but the real value emerges when multiple actors across a value chain each play their part — creating a connected graph of verifiable data that supports automated compliance assessment without any central authority or data store.