What happens to used electric car batteries?

Re:What happens to used electric car batteries? by beering on Thursday November 04, 2021 @08:31PM (#29114131)

> Side note: You know those Tide Pod plastic buckets? Those are recyclable. The refill bags of pods, however, are made of a plastic that is not recyclable - so you buy the bag to create less waste and actually end up creating more.

Are those buckets recyclable as in "stamped with the recycling symbol" or "actually will get recycled if you drop it in the recycling bin"? I've heard that most plastics, recyclable or not, are not recycled in practice due to cost, contamination, or lack of demand. (If that's true, then the bag is better than the bucket because it's less plastic.)

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Re:What happens to used electric car batteries? by russellbeattie on Friday November 05, 2021 @05:46AM (#29117158)

I actually just looked it up, and it's even more complicated, of course... From their website:

• The tub is recyclable. Please ensure that your area's recycling programs support the recycling of this type of container.

• The lid component is recyclable only in the few communities that have recycling programs for this type of material.

• The bag is not recyclable.

https://pgconsumersupport.secure.force.com/CarehubStandalone...

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Re:What happens to used electric car batteries? by smileysteve on Friday November 05, 2021 @08:49AM (#29118454)

The tub is very realistically user reusable, at least once.

Both the tub and the bag have less carbon footprint than a cotton bag, glass container, or metal tin. Likely less than transporting liquid detergent (though more than powder in cardboard)

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Re:What happens to used electric car batteries? by russellbeattie on Friday November 05, 2021 @05:53PM (#29125106)

The tub has to be thoroughly cleaned, and even then you shouldn't store food in it because of the detergents possibly permeating the plastic. I read this in an article about repurposing the tubs as Jack-o'-lanterns for Halloween.

Anyways, what's your point? They could use cardboard just as easily. And that still doesn't excuse plastics being used today that are non recyclable.

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Re:What happens to used electric car batteries? by smileysteve on Saturday November 06, 2021 @08:23PM (#29135196)

My point is that cardboard is often not better than plastics. Especially if the priority is less carbon rather than concerns about [non methane or sludge producing] landfill usage.

Recycled cardboard has a higher (3x) energy footprint and water waste than pe products.

This is an interesting comparison. https://www.egglandsbest.com/exceptional-quality/sustainabil...

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Re:What happens to used electric car batteries? by themitigating on Saturday November 06, 2021 @04:09AM (#29128320)

If it gets wet then the pods would be ruined.

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