Lithium Australia NL (ASX:LIT) (OTCMKTS:LMMFF) (FRA:3MW) and its 90%-owned subsidiary Envirostream Australia Pty Ltd’s field testing of fertiliser blends containing manganese micronutrients derived from spent alkaline batteries recycled by Envirostream have demonstrated successful uptake of these micronutrients in a field setting.
The uptake of manganese from the micronutrients being trialled was in line with, or superior to, that for comparable, commercially available treatments.
This result demonstrates that wheat cultivation can benefit from the manganese in fertiliser blends containing the manganese recovered from spent alkaline batteries by Envirostream.
Benefiting the environment
Lithium Australia managing director Adrian Griffin said: “Field testing has demonstrated the efficacy of micronutrients derived from spent, single-use alkaline batteries.
“Rather than being consigned to landfill, where they are potentially an environmental hazard, these batteries can be recycled to produce materials that benefit the environment by improving crop yields.
“As another facet of Envirostream’s commitment to developing leading battery recycling technologies, it sets that company apart from its peers.”
Manganese grain analysis
Analysis of the harvested grain showed a statistically significant (p <0.05) trend for manganese uptake over both the control (no fertiliser) and commercially available treatments used for the trial.
The field trial commenced in June 2020, with harvesting completed in December of that year.
Next step
Results from field trials will be made available to fertiliser companies.
Meanwhile, Envirostream will continue to work on advancing the use of recycled battery materials in blended fertiliser products.