AatmaNirbhar Bharat is a campaign launched by the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a vision to make India a self-reliant nation in every possible way. The campaign was established based on five pillars – Economy, Infrastructure, System, Vibrant Demography, and Demand. These five pillars cover all the aspects required to make India a self-reliant nation.
The aim was never for India to become a self-centred nation but rather one that was self-reliant. And LICO is fortunate enough to be contributing to making India truly AatmaNirbhar!
Established in October 2021, LICO recycles end-of-life Lithium-ion batteries through scalable and standard equipment, shreds them, and crushes them into fine sizes. Materials like plastic, steel, aluminium and copper foil, and black mass are separated through multiple processes. Black mass processing is done to separate the compounds of Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel, and Manganese. Battery raw materials are returned to battery manufacturers for further Li-ion battery production.
LICO recycles li-ion batteries that are used in wireless gadgets, smartphones, and small and large appliances. These batteries are considered to be the ideal power source for electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). In this growing technological world, the demand for these batteries is going to increase. Some analysts have estimated that by 2030 the actual number of Li-ion batteries spent will be 5 million tons per year. As a new startup LICO is creating a sustainable circular economy and providing a greener solution to the recycling needs.
Through recycling, LICO has contributed to saving nature from the perils of extensive mining. LICO has adopted a non-chemical process during shredding. While recycling the batteries, there is zero wastage, no sewage treatment, and no gas emission. LICO believes in a circular economy where dead batteries are recycled, and useful materials are restored rather than disposed of in nature. This e-waste recycling has been creating a positive impact on the planet’s ecosystem.
Apart from its environmental contribution, LICO is also taking steps to ensure that the Indian economy reduces its dependency on imports. The Indian government has been importing raw materials to produce batteries which in result, increases the cost of the final products. E-waste recycling will help the government save the incremental import cost of raw materials and companies such as LICO can help to recover the same materials and give them back to the local manufacturers within the country.
But the question is, should we be concerned about what happens if these Li-ion batteries do not get recycled?
Statistics show that only 5-7% of scrap batteries are recycled, which means that most of these batteries are getting wasted. This wastage can create a lot of environmental hazards. If not disposed of properly, these batteries can cause land fires and release toxic chemicals into the air. It can pollute the lakes and streams through the rain as the vaporised form of improperly exposed batteries also gets trapped in the atmosphere.
Lithium mining needs a lot of water for extraction; it is estimated that 500,000 gallons of water is used to mine one metric ton of lithium. In some cases, ruined farms and dead animals are found; in the surrounding areas near the mines.
We have witnessed that as development in technology advances, it can cause harm to nature and habitation. The only way to reduce this harm is to create a system where the resources are reused and not disposed of in nature. Technology advancement is necessary but protecting nature is very necessary and LICO has been successfully doing it.
AatmaNirbhar is not just a campaign but an initiative to showcase the ability of India developing world class products. Thousands of start-ups are registering in India today, contributing to its growth. There are 107 unicorns in India, and over 70,000 start-ups have registered, creating over 750,000 jobs. Some of these companies are developing and innovating products that are environmentally friendly and sustainable. Start-ups such as LICO further create employment opportunities for India.
This movement has lowered the dependency on other nations and brought too many investments into the country, making India a business centre. It has created many job opportunities for its citizens. LICO is fortunate and proud to contribute to making India AatmaNirbhar and will continue to do so.
