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Evaluation the environmental carrying capacity of lithium-ion battery recycling using emergy analysis

Author

Listed:
  • Sun, Yufeng
  • Shi, Dongming
  • Liu, Hengyu
  • Liu, Mingyang
  • Ying, Jilai
  • Guo, Xiaohan
  • Li, Jingzu
  • Liu, Qinglei
  • Kong, Ing

Abstract

The scrapping of a large number of batteries has led to a series of environmental problems. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct an environmental impact assessment of the recycling process in terms of economic input, resource utilization, and waste treatment, and to provide suggestions for the sustainable development of the recycling industry. This study utilizes the green approach of emergy analysis to convert the ecological effects of pollutant emissions into equivalent waste emergy and incorporates them into the index system to improve the emergy indicators. In addition, considering the environmental impact, an emergy-environmental theory evaluation system was constructed from energy flow to assess the relationship between the economy, resources and the environment in the lithium battery recycling industry to provide a theoretical basis and constructive suggestions on how to achieve resources recovery and sustainable development. The quantification results of ecological services revealed that the maximum emergy of waste containing carbon dioxide in the emitted gas was 4.2E+18 sej/year, and the maximum loss of emergy value loss from solid waste in artificial recycling system (ARS) was 7.0E+19 hm2. Both ARS and mechanical recycling system (MRS) demonstrated a certain level of resource utilization. Results from traditional indicators found that the Emergy Sustainability Index (ESI: 0.016) of ARS was higher, however, the improved index indicates that as the Intensity of Emissions’ Impacts (IEI: 0.051) increases, the pressure of MRS on the environment decreases. The results of environmental carrying capacity analysis indicated that MRS has a stronger environmental carrying capacity (1.48E+08 m2).

Suggested Citation

  • Sun, Yufeng & Shi, Dongming & Liu, Hengyu & Liu, Mingyang & Ying, Jilai & Guo, Xiaohan & Li, Jingzu & Liu, Qinglei & Kong, Ing, 2025. "Evaluation the environmental carrying capacity of lithium-ion battery recycling using emergy analysis," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 341(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:341:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225051606
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.139518
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