The lithium battery industry is developing rapidly, and environmental protection issues cannot be ignored

The development of the new energy vehicle industry has driven the lithium battery industry into a stage of rapid development. The author recently conducted research in Yichun and other places in Jiangxi Province and found that with the development of the lithium battery industry, pressures such as tailings storage, lithium slag consumption and waste battery recycling are gradually emerging. Relevant policy systems need to be further improved to promote the green and sustainable development of the lithium battery new energy industry.

Establish and improve a long-term supervision mechanism. Strengthen full-process supervision, promote information sharing and collaborative management among lithium slag generation units, utilization units, disposal units and regulatory authorities, and establish and improve the legal, regulatory and standard system for solid waste management. Establish a ledger for the investigation of hidden dangers of lithium ore and lithium slag, sort out relevant information of lithium ore mining and lithium compound production enterprises, give full play to the role of platforms such as mineral development and solid waste management information systems, and complete the standardized management of lithium ore and lithium slag in "one enterprise, one file".

Reasonably plan tailings storage, promote mining enterprises to build tailings ponds, and close them in time after the reservoirs are full. Strengthen the construction of green mines, promote source management and systematic management of lithium tailings, and promote ecological restoration. Supervise and urge tailings production units to implement their main responsibilities, improve the tail water treatment system of tailings ponds, upgrade and transform return water facilities, improve monitoring facilities, and carry out monitoring in accordance with laws and regulations. Establish environmental risk management files for tailings ponds, regularly carry out investigation of potential pollution hazards, and promote effective results in tailings pollution prevention and control. Innovate supervision methods and conduct supervision through drone inspections, video surveillance, surprise inspections, on-site law enforcement inspections, etc., focusing on real-time monitoring of excessive emissions, random mining, and illegal construction.

Improve the comprehensive utilization rate of lithium ore and lithium slag. Optimize the mining and dressing process and select a suitable and efficient multi-process combination method according to the characteristics of lithium ore. Increase technical research and development efforts, build a research and development center for the comprehensive utilization of lithium slag solid waste resources and a scientific research and industrialization base for the utilization of lithium slag solid waste resources, and promote lithium slag production enterprises, comprehensive utilization enterprises and scientific research institutions to jointly carry out technical research and industrialization research. Actively cultivate the market for comprehensive utilization products of lithium ore associated resources and waste, strengthen the formulation of market standards for comprehensive utilization products, continuously enrich the types of lithium slag comprehensive utilization products, reduce product prices, and increase market recognition of lithium ore comprehensive utilization products. Minerals are encouraged to extend the tailings treatment chain and expand the application of lithium slag in monocrystalline silicon, special glass, photocells and vacuum tubes.

Improve the lithium power battery recycling system. Establish and improve the laws, regulations and standard system for the recycling of used lithium batteries to provide a strong guarantee for the healthy development of the industry. Strengthen collaborative cooperation between upstream and downstream enterprises and improve the waste lithium battery recycling network. Encourage relevant enterprises in the industrial chain to build a green closed ecosystem for lithium battery recycling by establishing strategic alliances and other forms. Encourage enterprises to strengthen lithium resource recovery and comprehensive utilization design during the product research and development stage, and do a good job in comprehensive management of resources throughout the life cycle such as lithium-ion battery production, sales, use, and comprehensive utilization. Improve the lithium battery carbon footprint management system, develop digital product management tools, and establish a basic database of carbon emissions throughout the life cycle.

Strengthen technological innovation, continuously improve the technical level of waste lithium battery recycling, and improve the recycling rate and economic benefits of lithium resources. Encourage lithium battery manufacturers to give priority to the use of recycled raw materials and increase the proportion of recycled raw materials used in power batteries. Subsidies will be given to recycling, tiered utilization, and recycling projects for new energy vehicles to further increase the comprehensive utilization of used lithium power batteries for new energy vehicles. Actively carry out pilot projects on environmental management systems for comprehensive utilization of used lithium motive batteries to promote strict prevention and control of ecological and environmental risks in the lithium battery solid waste treatment industry.

Author's unit: Hua Chen, Party School of Jiangxi Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China; Ma Jinwen, Jiangxi Province Academy of Social Sciences