Dissolvable binder for EV batteries wins 2023 Earthshot Prize
Photo: GRST
November 7, 2023 – Prince William has announced the five projects that are taking home this year’s Earthshot Prize, including a circular manufacturing process for lithium-ion batteries, developed by Hong Kong based GRST.
Co-founded by Justin Hung, GRST (which stands for Green, Renewable, Sustainable Technology) has come up with a cleaner process to make batteries that pollutes less and uses components that can be more easily recycled. Instead of using toxic solvents and hard-to-recycle materials, GRST has created a way to build the battery using a water-soluble binding composite, so that at the end of the battery’s life, the lithium, cobalt and nickel can be more easily recovered and reused in other batteries.
The Earthshot Prize is awarded to five winners each year for their contributions to environmentalism. It was first awarded in 2021 and is planned to run annually until 2030. Each winner receives a grant of £1 million to continue their environmental work. The five categories were inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals; they are ‘restoration and protection of nature’, ‘air cleanliness’, ‘ocean revival’, ‘waste-free living’, and ‘climate action’.
The Earthshot Prize was launched in 2020 by Prince William and David Attenborough. The winners are selected by the Earthshot Prize Council, which includes Prince William and Attenborough.
