Thailand's First Used Battery Recycling Initiative
In a pioneering move, Panasonic Energy Thailand (PECTH), together with UMC Metals and CP All, has launched a groundbreaking battery recycling program.
This initiative, aimed at fostering a circular economy, utilizes the ECOARC Furnace technology to recover valuable materials from used Panasonic batteries, known for their environmentally friendly composition.
Expanding on a previous collaboration with CP All, the project will increase the number of battery collection bins to 1,000 at 7-Eleven stores across Thailand by 2024.
This effort addresses the country's annual consumption of over 300 million batteries, which often end up in landfills, posing environmental challenges.
PECTH's managing director, Takuya Tanimoto, emphasizes the importance of recycling used batteries to extract new economic value aligning with circular economy principles.
PECTH's journey began with research into recycling technologies and has evolved into partnerships for metal recycling with UMC Metals and battery collection initiatives with CP All. The Department of Industrial Works has approved PECTH to recycle battery materials into steel, marking the project's readiness to operate fully.
The ECOARC Furnace, a Japanese-developed technology located at UMC Metals in Chonburi, melts batteries into materials that can be repurposed, such as billets for the steel industry. This process also produces steel slag and EAF dust, which are recycled into zinc oxide, a potential raw material for new batteries.
UMC Metals' Managing Director Settawut Yinmongkhol highlights the furnace's unique, environmentally friendly technology, emphasizing its role in pollution control and energy efficiency.
This initiative represents a significant step towards reducing battery waste and reintegrating valuable materials into the economy, marking a milestone in Thailand's commitment to a sustainable future.
As the collection network through 7-Eleven stores expands, this initiative brings us closer to achieving a circular economy, where used batteries are not only recycled but potentially remade into new batteries, setting a precedent in Thailand for comprehensive battery recycling.