Environmental Impact Assessment of Lead-Acid and Lithium-ion Battery Waste Management in Thailand

Abstract

This study used material flow analysis and life cycle impact assessment to evaluate the management of lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries in Thailand in 2022. Four scenarios were designed, employing two methods: landfilling and material recovery. Landfilling lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries showed significant negative environmental impacts. Lead recovery for lead-acid batteries waste also had negative impacts due to slag generation. However, metal recovery of lithium-ion battery waste, which recovered lithium carbonate and cobalt carbonate, demonstrated positive environmental outcomes. When comparing the two methods, landfilling was preferable for lead-acid batteries, whereas metal recovery was better for lithium-ion batteries. These findings provide essential information for battery management guidelines in Thailand and indicate that future research should explore additional methods and their economic aspect.