Circular economy strategies for electric vehicle batteries reduce raw material reliance

The wide adoption of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles will require increased natural resources for the automotive industry. The expected rapid increase in batteries could result in new resource challenges and supply-chain risks. To strengthen the resilience and sustainability of automotive supply chains and reduce primary resource requirements, circular economy strategies are needed. Here we illustrate how these strategies can reduce the extraction of primary raw materials, that is, cobalt supplies. Material flow analysis is applied to understand current and future flows of cobalt embedded in electric vehicle batteries across the European Union. A reference scenario is presented and compared with four strategies: technology-driven substitution and technology-driven reduction of cobalt, new business models to stimulate battery reuse/recycling and policy-driven strategy to increase recycling. We find that new technologies provide the most promising strategies to reduce the reliance on cobalt substantially but could result in burden shifting such as an increase in nickel demand. To avoid the latter, technological developments should be combined with an efficient recycling system. We conclude that more-ambitious circular economy strategies, at both government and business levels, are urgently needed to address current and future resource challenges across the supply chain successfully

As dimensões do cuidado em uma unidade de queimados: um estudo etnográfico Las dimensiones del cuidado en una unidad de quemados: un estudio etnográfico The dimensions of the care in a burn unit: an ethnographic study

Este estudo etnográfico teve como objetivo compreender as perspectivas culturais dos profissionais de enfermagem que atuam em uma Unidade de Queimados sobre cuidado do paciente vítima de queimaduras. Os dados foram coletados por meio de observação e entrevistas e interpretados de acordo com a perspectiva de Bourdieu, que utiliza os conceitos de habitus e campo para compreender os comportamentos que expressam o que está interiorizado pelas pessoas que fazem parte de um grupo social. Para desempenhar o cuidado, os profissionais agem de acordo com formas que já interiorizaram, como sofrer junto, ser firme e, ao mesmo tempo, atencioso e carinhoso.<br>Este estudio etnográfico tuvo como objetivo comprender las perspectivas culturales de profesionales de enfermería, que actúan en una Unidad de Quemados, sobre el cuidado del cliente que sufrió quemaduras. Los datos fueron obtenidos por medio de observación y entrevistas e interpretados de acuerdo con la perspectiva de Bourdieu, que utiliza los conceptos de habitus y campo para comprender los comportamientos que expresan lo interiorizado por personas que hacen parte de un grupo social. Para desempeñar el cuidado, los profesionales actúan de acuerdo a formas ya interiorizadas tales como: sufrir junto, ser firme y al mismo tiempo atento y cariñoso.<br>This aim of this ethnographic study is to understand a nursing staff's cultural perspectives throughout the care of a burned client in a burn unit. Data were collected through observation and interviews and interpreted in accordance with Bourdieu's perspective, that uses the habitus concepts and field to understand the behaviors that express what is internalized by people that belong to a social group. To carry out these dimensions of care, the professionals act in agreement with the forms that already internalized, and they expressed in their depositions: to suffer together, to act firmly, and at the same time, to be kind and affectionate