HYBRID-CAR BATTERY WASTE MANAGEMENT TOWARDS CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN THAILAND

Abstract

"Electric and hybrid cars are becoming increasingly popular in Thailand, following global trends. This study uses Material Flow Analysis (MFA) to track the flow and inventory of nickel in the Ni-MH battery supply chain in Thailand. In 2022, there were ~302,000 HEV/PHEV vehicles in Thailand, up 10x since 2012, and the government's campaign could mean up to 895,420 hybrid cars. Expired nickel-metal hydride batteries are disposed using the 3R method. The following are the recommended guidelines to manage Ni-MH batteries sustainably: 1) Develop a market for secondary materials. 2) Promote circular economy practices for Ni-MH batteries. 3) Establish a supply chain. 4) Create a second life for batteries. 5) It is recommended to define a minimum cycle number for batteries. This helps to reduce environmental loads. Batteries with high energy density and long lifespan produce less environmental harm. Therefore, it's important to support products and technologies that can improve energy density and lifespan. 6) It is crucial to separate secondary batteries from municipal garbage and to treat different types of discarded batteries separately. 7) Thailand should build its own recycling factory instead of shipping materials to Japan for recycling. This will lessen the cost and reduce the greenhouse effect."