Lithium – Future driven electronic eco-systems countering planned obsolescence

We are increasingly more dependent on electricity. Our personal computers, our phones and even our home appliances are battery powered. The industry has shifted from replaceable batteries to closed devices that are difficult to repair and will eventually breakdown resulting in incredible amounts of e-waste.
E-waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the EU. It has grown by 8% in the last two years and is the fastest growing kind of waste, reaching in 2020 55.5 million metric tonnes worldwide and is expected to reach near 70 by the end of 2026. Following the same trend, toxic chemical leak from lithium mining, the metal powering modern batteries, is growing exponentially. Cairn Energy Research Advisors estimate, a growth in the lithium-ion industry from 100 gigawatt hours (GWh) of annual production in 2017, to almost 800 GWhs in 2027.
The aim of this project is to provide an alternative to the “throw-away recyclable batteries” trend by using the new USB type-c technology. This protocol enables the creation of a universal battery / charging system that adapts itself to variety of uses by adapting the power output to the demand of the connected appliance. This enables the use of a single battery and charger to power all our daily electronic products.
An expandable and modular system where the user has full control on the state of his devices, from size to the singular components used inside the appliance. A system which can be carried through different generations of products and never be obsolete, reducing the need of new fresh cells and encouraging the recycle of old ones.