Recycling is a daily part of our lives and splitting our waste into appropriate refuse has become the norm.
Due to the infancy of EV vehicles on our roads, this normality does not apply to the garage industry and there have long been barriers in place to the safe disposal of waste. Lithium-Ion batteries feature in all EV’s and pose a new waste management challenge to garages to ensure their safe disposal.
Servicesure have now become the UK’s first national garage programme to establish a circular economy for Lithium batteries as part of its EVsure Scheme. Thanks to their long-standing partnership with sustainable waste management business Slicker Recycling and now battery processor Recyclus, Servicesure now offers a safe, circular and carbon-efficient waste lithium battery solution to members on its EVsure add-on.
Lithium-ion batteries, particularly those from electric vehicles, are notoriously hazardous due to high voltages and potentially volatile battery chemistry, so it’s vital that garages store and dispose of them appropriately. Recyclus’ robust ‘LiBox’ storage containers are specifically designed to store and transport used lithium-ion batteries of all sizes safely and securely. In the case of ‘thermal runaway’, where a lithium-ion battery may spontaneously ignite, the boxes are designed to withstand temperatures up to 6000c. Thanks to Recyclus’ storage solution, EVSure members now minimise the risk EV batteries pose, helping protect their business and, most importantly, the health and wellbeing of colleagues and customers.
Following the collection of the used lithium-ion batteries by Slicker Recycling, the EVSure members’ batteries are taken to Recyclus’ state-of-the-art processing facility, the only one of its kind in the UK. Here the batteries are broken down into their component parts, with the raw materials extracted and then sent to be used again in new applications. This includes the production of new EV batteries.
This sustainable, circular approach to recycling used lithium-ion batteries ensures valuable finite materials are being re-used instead of being sent to landfill. It also supports EVSure members by reducing their carbon footprint.
Head of Servicesure Paul Dineen said: “Our priority is to provide the best value for our network members. Through our partnership with Slicker Recycling, and in turn Recyclus, we have found what we believe to be the best solution for our members’ waste lithium-ion batteries. Through our partnership, we will help reduce members’ carbon emissions, improve their sustainability, and minimise waste management spend.
“This aligns with GSF Car Parts’ wider aims to find innovative new solutions to apply sustainable practices to our part in the automotive aftermarket.”
