Playground to Post-Secondary: How Principles of Sustainability Follow Us Through Learning
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Anil Vinayak, FES Operations Coordinator, posed with samples during his master's degree
Sometimes we learn concepts or ideas at a young age that stick with us all the way until adulthood and influence our schooling and career pursuits. Just ask Anil Vinayak, current Operations Coordinator at FES and alum of the FES program. A few years ago, Anil was wrapping up his master’s degree, learning how to apply some of these foundational principles to real-world challenges.
“Throughout my undergraduate studies in India and then later at the University of Alberta, sustainability and a sustainable future were central motivating themes of the research I chose,” Anil shares. “It was important to me that my work contributed to a greener future.”
In Alberta’s science curriculum, Grade 4 students are introduced to sustainability through the 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Though Anil grew up outside of Canada, as a graduate-level researcher at the U of A, Anil explored sustainability with expanded versions of the 3Rs. He refers to the advanced concept as “the 4 Re’s” (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Regenerate) or a circular economy—a framework aimed at minimizing waste and maximizing resource efficiency within an economy.
Building a Sustainable Future: 4 Re’s and A Circular Economy Framework
On a global scale, the mass production and use of lithium batteries contribute to long-term problems. As global energy demand grows, so does the demand for energy storage, including in the form of lithium-ion batteries that power everything from our smartphones to electric vehicles.
However, the mining and production of raw materials like lithium and cobalt are costly and pose severe environmental challenges. And over time, rechargeable batteries degrade and will need replacement, raising crucial waste management concerns. Anil looked into ways to recover valuable materials and reintegrate them into new battery production—his research focused on the recycling and regeneration parts of a circular economy.
The two common methods of recycling spent batteries are pyrometallurgy (using heat to recover lithium) and hydrometallurgy (using chemical solutions to recover lithium); however, both these methods are destructive and are accompanied by challenges like energy and chemical requirements.
Anil’s experimental research led him to develop a more environmentally friendly hydrometallurgical process to recover lithium using an organic acid cocktail instead of mineral acids: “Organic acid leaching is a better choice than inorganic acid leaching—it’s biodegradable, creates fewer toxic byproducts, and still delivers comparable metal recovery."
Direct regeneration, the third method Anil explored, addresses the causes of a battery’s capacity fade (the reason that a battery weakens over time) and fixes that part using a non-destructive method. Not only is this method more efficient than traditional methods, but it’s also less environmentally damaging since it advocates for standardized battery production.
“Modular design components in electronics are standardized, making repairs and recycling easier,” Anil explains. “By incorporating similar standards and regulations that minimize material and design variations, this approach simplifies recycling and embeds sustainability in the design phase.”
However, he noted direct regeneration faces challenges as it’s still in the early stages of research: “Direct regeneration is feasible at a lab scale, but the diversity of lithium-ion batteries on the commercial market makes it a challenge to scale up. There are too many factors to consider in terms of capacity, battery size, material chemistry, and whatnot.”
Anil clarifies how implementing the circular economy framework from the top of the battery production cycle builds sustainability: “That’s where the circular economy framework comes into play. It ensures that academia, policymakers, and industry work together to consider circular production from the start—alongside other parameters like safety, efficiency, and feasibility.”
The Next Steps Toward a Greener Circular Future
Anil recently collaborated with a professor from his undergraduate degree. They expanded the circular economy framework beyond lithium-ion batteries and disposal methods, to recycling photovoltaic (solar) cells and energy generation and recovery from municipal solid waste.
“It shows that circular economy practices aren’t just limited to one industry. Think of the fashion industry, for example,” Anil compares. “Thrift shops exist to encourage people to reuse and recycle clothing throughout society, which ultimately helps reduce our global impact of fashion consumption. There are ways to do this with lithium-ion batteries, too.”
Upon completing his master’s degree in 2023, Anil joined the FES Administration team, where his work has continued to advance efforts toward a greener future. While his plans to return to academic research are distant, his academic work is still actively being published. To stay current with Anil’s upcoming publications, check out his Google Scholar page.
Anil’s research story is an attestation to how foundational principles stay with us throughout our education. Whether in a grade school classroom, university lab, or the workplace, the same motivating principles can help tackle challenges, push boundaries, and create a lasting impact for the future.
Anil’s research advocates for supporting local innovation and infrastructure and more responsible consumption of products, which parallel the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) No. 9 and No. 12. In 2015, the United Nations developed 17 SDGs as calls to action aimed at reducing humanity’s global impact and supporting a more sustainable future for all. The University of Alberta and organizations across Canada recognize March as Sustainable Development Goal Month to appreciate the efforts, projects, and work actively supporting the 17 SDGs. Learn more about SDG Month at the University of Alberta.
Links to Anil’s published research:
For a full list, visit Anil’s Google Scholar page.
Further Reading
THE 17 GOALS | UN Sustainable Development