Press Release
The Hidden Economic And Environmental Cost Of EV Batteries And How To Create A Sustainable Circular Economy
–News Direct–

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga
The global push towards electric vehicles (EVs) represents a pivotal shift in efforts to reduce carbon emissions worldwide. In 2022, transportation was responsible for approximately 50% of greenhouse gas emissions and 80% of air pollutants in California. For Californian lawmakers, the solution was simple a policy to advance carbon neutrality by phasing out the sale of vehicles powered by fossil fuels. While electric vehicles (EVs) are a great way to help decrease carbon emissions, what many are unaware of is that the battery industry is still a contributor to waste and pollution.
There are some challenges when using EV batteries as a solution to achieving carbon neutrality, due to the environmental impact caused by the mining and refining processes of materials such as nickel, manganese, cobalt, lithium and graphite. The production of anode and cathode active materials also involves energy-intensive processes that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
However, while the lifecycle of EV batteries does generate waste, the overall environmental impact is less than that of fossil fuel-powered vehicles. Thats why embracing the recycling of batteries is crucial to overall sustainability. However, even the battery recycling industry is facing challenges in achieving sustainability. Some companies, such as Aqua Metals (NASDAQ: AQMS), are looking to change that.
Aqua Metals: Addressing Challenges Faced By The Recycling Industry
Traditionally, battery recycling has relied on methods like hydrometallurgy, which, while somewhat effective in recovering valuable metals, comes with significant environmental drawbacks. These methods use large quantities of chemicals that lead to substantial waste production, primarily sodium sulfate.
In response to these challenges, Aqua Metals has pioneered a radically different approach to battery recycling that it says aligns with the principles of a circular economy. By electrifying the recycling process, Aqua Metals patented AquaRefining technology eliminates the need for harsh chemical reactions used in traditional metal recovery. This innovative approach not only reduces the embedded emissions from chemical use but also entirely avoids the production of sodium sulfate waste.
Sodium Sulfate Waste
Aqua Metals shares that in the recycling process of lithium batteries, the main waste material is sodium sulfate, which is a byproduct of the chemical reactions used to separate metals during certain processes. To put it in perspective, Aqua Metals says a typical battery recycler generates around 2 to 2.5 tonnes of sodium sulfate for every tonne of battery material recycled. Considering that only 50% of the battery material contains valuable substances such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese, the company reports that this means that the amount of waste produced is four to five times greater than the valuable materials recovered. In other words, the recycling process falls short of true recycling and instead contributes to pollution with a small stream of recovered metals.
While regulators arent yet cracking down on these recycling issues, inefficient and polluting recycling practices are at risk of facing obstacles and threats as regulations do evolve to address these issues. While moving away from fossil fuels is an essential part of staying below the 2 Celsius threshold that scientists around the world are urging leaders and industries to adhere to, its also critical when thinking about how to change existing practices to effectively evolve into sustainable ones.
Can The EV Battery Industry Become More Sustainable?
Recycling batteries is part of the answer, but sustainable recycling is key. Companies like Aqua Metals are at the forefront of this transition, redefining the recycling landscape with innovative technologies that are helping deliver a path to net-zero battery recycling. The companys AquaRefining method significantly enhances the sustainability of the recycling process, offering numerous benefits, such as:
1. Reduced Environmental Impact: By eliminating chemical waste, AquaRefining drastically cuts down the pollution typically associated with battery recycling, helping to preserve ecosystems and reduce landfill usage.
2. Economic Efficiency: With lower operational costs due to the absence of chemical handling and waste disposal requirements, the company says AquaRefining presents a more cost-effective solution for recycling batteries. This efficiency is particularly advantageous as the global demand for batteries increases, necessitating more robust and economical recycling solutions.
3. Support for Domestic Supply Chains: AquaRefining contributes to building domestic supply chains for critical battery materials. As more countries and companies look to reduce dependencies on foreign mineral sources, having a reliable, domestically produced supply of recycled materials is invaluable.
The environmental and community impacts of sourcing critical minerals for the clean energy economy are well documented. By pioneering advancements in sustainable recycling technology, we are enabling the circular battery economy and decarbonizing large portions of the clean energy supply chain, setting a new paradigm for the industryone that minimizes the environmental impacts of critical minerals and offers equitable economic opportunities to host communities. These principles of a circular economy are essential to achieving our most ambitious goals to combat climate change and provide a blueprint for an inclusive energy transition that respects both the planet and its people, shares Aqua Metals Chief Business Officer, Dave McMurtry.
The company recently received the title of 'Leader in Sustainability' bestowed by the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) as part of its Existing Industry Awards. Its sustainable processes have garnered praise from U.S. Congressman Amodei and U.S. Senator Cortez-Masto, as well as accolades from the Office of Nevada Lieutenant Governor Anthony. Aqua Metals' pivotal approach to a sustainable circular supply chain for essential minerals is helping transform recycling as we know it.
Given the increasing reliance on battery technology and the imminent task of recycling millions of tons of lithium-ion batteries in the future, the implementation of eco-friendly recycling practices is critical. As the industry continues to evolve, Aqua Metals' innovative recycling process could not only offer a blueprint for future developments but also demonstrate the practical viability of environmentally friendly technology. By reducing the ecological footprint of battery recycling, Aqua Metals is not just processing materials it is shaping the future of energy and sustainability.
Featured photo by Josh Power on Unsplash.
Benzinga is a leading financial media and data provider, known for delivering accurate, timely, and actionable financial information to empower investors and traders.
This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.
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View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/the-hidden-economic-and-environmental-cost-of-ev-batteries-and-how-to-create-a-sustainable-circular-economy-180439948
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Press Release
From Code to Compassion: Rathi Murthy’s Journey of Mindful Leadership
California, US, 8th October 2025, ZEX PR WIRE, Rathi Murthy is widely recognized as one of the most visionary technology leaders of her generation, a trailblazer whose career spans some of the most influential companies in the world and whose impact continues to redefine what is possible at the intersection of artificial intelligence, financial inclusion, and mindful leadership. Named among the Top Women in Tech, Murthy’s influence stretches far beyond the boardroom. She embodies a rare blend of technical mastery, business acumen, and human-centered leadership, positioning her as a role model for the next generation of innovators.
Today, Murthy serves as the Chief Technology Officer at Varo Bank, the first nationally chartered, all-digital consumer bank in the United States. In this role, she leads Varo’s end-to-end technology strategy, advancing its mission to deliver secure, scalable, and AI-powered digital banking platforms. Her vision is bold yet deeply practical: to build real-time, inclusive, and accessible financial solutions for millions of consumers who have historically been underserved by traditional banking systems. For Murthy, AI is not just a technology, it is a tool for social transformation, a force that can dismantle barriers and create pathways for financial empowerment.
A Career Forged at the Crossroads of Innovation
Murthy’s career trajectory is as impressive as it is inspiring. Before joining Varo Bank, she held senior leadership positions at some of the most dynamic organizations in technology, media, and financial services.
As Chief Technology Officer and President of Expedia Services at Expedia Group, Murthy led critical technology pillars across artificial intelligence, e-commerce, payments, and customer experience. She played a central role in modernizing Expedia’s global platform, helping the company reimagine the infrastructure that powers millions of bookings worldwide. Her leadership was instrumental in bringing agility, personalization, and innovation to a highly competitive travel industry.
Earlier, as CTO at Verizon Media, Murthy spearheaded global technology initiatives, driving innovations in 5G, AI, and media platforms. She also served as SVP and CTO at Gap Inc., where she created the digital transformation roadmap for the company’s family of brands, ensuring that the future of retail would be as immersive and data-driven as it was customer-focused.
Her prior roles include CIO of Enterprise Growth at American Express, where she built technology capabilities to support new business models, as well as senior positions at eBay, Yahoo, Sun Microsystems, and WebMD. Each role added new dimensions to her leadership philosophy, sharpening her expertise in scaling technology platforms while keeping people and experiences at the center.
Recognition and Influence
Murthy’s contributions have not gone unnoticed. She has been consistently celebrated as a force in global technology leadership.
• Top 100 Executive Women in Tech to Watch (2023) by WomenTech Network
• Top Woman in Cloud Innovation (2014)
• Most Influential Women in Payments (2015)
These honors reflect more than her accomplishments. They acknowledge her courage in breaking barriers, her commitment to mentoring other women in tech, and her determination to build a more equitable industry.
Mindful Leadership: The Art of Living
Beyond her corporate roles, Murthy is also a teacher of The Art of Living, a global movement dedicated to cultivating mindfulness, resilience, and community well-being. This practice is more than a personal pursuit, it informs her leadership style and her belief that technology must be aligned with humanity’s highest values.
For Murthy, mindful leadership is not a trend but a necessity. In a world where technology evolves at breathtaking speed, she believes that leaders must balance innovation with intention, ensuring that progress does not come at the expense of peace, well-being, or ethical responsibility. Her integration of mindfulness into her executive leadership is one of the qualities that set her apart in the tech industry. She leads with clarity, empathy, and purpose.
Board Service and Mentorship
Murthy is also deeply committed to shaping the future of education and innovation. She serves on the Board of Directors for PagerDuty, on the Board of Governors at Sri Sri University, and as an advisor to the University of San Francisco. She is also an active angel investor, supporting mission-driven startups in fintech, enterprise technology, and social impact. Through these roles, she empowers the next generation of entrepreneurs, ensuring that their ideas and innovations are nurtured with both resources and mentorship.
A Life Rooted in Purpose
Murthy’s journey is not just one of professional triumphs, it is a testament to living a life rooted in purpose. Her story reflects the power of resilience, adaptability, and continuous growth. Whether leading global teams at Fortune 500 companies, advising academic institutions, or teaching mindfulness to communities, Murthy approaches every role with the same conviction: technology must serve humanity, and leadership must serve others.
She holds a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering from Santa Clara University, where she honed the technical foundation that would fuel her ascent in the tech world. Yet her education did not end there. Her lifelong learning through corporate leadership, spiritual practice, and mentorship continues to shape her evolving vision of what technology and leadership can achieve.
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Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
Press Release
Darius McGrew Leads Frontier’s AI-Powered Push for Hurricane Preparedness Across Florida
Canton, Michigan, 8th October 2025, ZEX PR WIRE, As Florida braces for another turbulent hurricane season, telecommunications executive Darius McGrew is stepping into the spotlight with innovative AI-powered strategies that are redefining how businesses and communities prepare for natural disasters. As an Enterprise Account Executive with Frontier Communications, McGrew has become a trusted partner to organizations across the healthcare, government, finance, and nonprofit sectors, ensuring they remain connected when storms threaten to disrupt everything.
A Local Leader in the Eye of the Storm
Tampa sits at the heart of one of America’s most hurricane-prone regions. For McGrew, storm season is not just another quarter on the sales calendar. It is a call to safeguard critical infrastructure. By utilizing AI-driven analytics, he has developed a system that categorizes enterprise clients based on risk zone, infrastructure resilience, and historical outage patterns. This allows him to design customized readiness packages that anticipate client vulnerabilities before disaster strikes.
“Enterprise businesses are facing several challenges at this time of year, but we are too,” McGrew said. “At an internet service provider, we must identify and develop replicable systems that can be quickly implemented across particular audiences. Resilient communications are not just about uptime. They are about safety.”
Delivering Resilience in Healthcare
Healthcare organizations, where downtime can endanger lives, are at the forefront of McGrew’s work. MedFleet, a regional medical transport provider, partnered with him to implement redundant internet connectivity, a step that ensures dispatch operations remain uninterrupted throughout storm season. At CoreRX, a Clearwater-based healthcare manufacturer, previous storms had exposed weaknesses in their landline system. During Hurricane Helene, intermittent connectivity created risks for essential operations. McGrew and the Frontier team addressed the issue by introducing cost-effective landline redundancy, a solution that transformed a vulnerable system into one built for reliability and long-term safety.
Municipalities Gain Strength Through Redundancy
Local governments, often on the front lines of disaster response, are also benefiting from McGrew’s approach. The City of Zephyrhills collaborated with him to implement landline redundancy, which enhances communication during severe weather while delivering long-term cost savings. The City of Aledo made a similar investment, ensuring that municipal operations can remain stable and reliable even in the face of heavy storms. These measures allow cities to maintain essential services and communicate with residents without interruption.
Financial Institutions and Nonprofits Benefit
Financial and nonprofit organizations have also sought McGrew’s expertise. Legend Bank, which was expanding with a new branch, relied on him to provide dedicated internet access that secures and stabilizes its financial operations. Meanwhile, Champions for Children, a Tampa-based nonprofit focused on abuse prevention, partnered with McGrew to enhance its inbound call system using RingCentral’s voice solutions. The upgrade ensures that donation calls are never missed, even during periods of high demand or storm-related disruptions, protecting vital revenue streams that fund the organization’s mission.
AI Turns Sales into Safety
Rather than relying on reactive measures such as mobile failovers, McGrew has pioneered an AI-powered outreach strategy that turns storm preparedness into a proactive campaign. By predicting which clients are most vulnerable, he can initiate conversations before disaster strikes. The result is tailored packages that keep hospitals, banks, city halls, and nonprofits connected when hurricanes threaten to sever lifelines.
“Every deal I close is more than a contract,” McGrew emphasized. “It is about making sure a hospital can reach its patients, a city can update its residents, or a nonprofit can answer a critical call for help. Connectivity becomes survival in the middle of a storm.”
Frontier’s Role in Storm Preparedness
Frontier’s extensive telecommunications infrastructure is the foundation of McGrew’s work. From redundant circuits and dedicated internet to cloud-based voice platforms, Frontier offers the tools required for business continuity in storm-prone regions. McGrew’s ability to combine these services with predictive AI models has positioned him as a leader in Florida’s disaster readiness efforts.
“AI-powered outreach and predictive planning have completely reshaped our ability to serve customers,” said McGrew. “By combining Frontier’s technology with forward-thinking strategies, we are not just meeting demand. We are anticipating it.”
Looking Ahead
As climate change fuels longer and more severe storm seasons, McGrew remains focused on expanding his work with businesses and municipalities throughout Florida. His vision is to ensure that no organization has to gamble with its connectivity when disaster looms. From MedFleet ambulances and CoreRX manufacturing lines to city governments and nonprofits serving families in need, his clients share a common goal: They have the confidence that their systems will stay connected when it matters most.
As Florida heads deeper into hurricane season, McGrew stands as a reminder that resilience is not simply about recovering after a storm. With the right strategies, it is about staying connected through it.
About Frontier
Frontier Communications is a leading telecommunications provider delivering high-speed internet, advanced voice services, and enterprise-grade connectivity across the United States. With a focus on reliability, innovation, and community resilience, Frontier helps businesses, governments, and nonprofits prepare for and overcome the challenges of natural disasters.
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Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Digi Observer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
Press Release
Dr. Khadija Lilley Crowned Moroccan Caftan Ambassador at Queen Arab Worldwide – Celebrating Heritage, Empowerment, and Global Impact
Morocco, 8th October 2025, ZEX PR WIRE, International model, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Dr. Khadija Lilley has once again made Morocco proud by winning the prestigious title of Moroccan Caftan Ambassador at the Queen Arab Worldwide pageant. She will soon represent Morocco on the grand stage in Egypt, wearing the iconic Moroccan caftan, a proud emblem of her country’s artistry, culture, and timeless heritage.
This honour adds to a long list of global achievements that define Dr. Lilley’s inspiring journey. Her pageant titles include:
- Mrs. Georgia Globe 2023
- Mrs. Morocco Universe Middle East 2024
- Mr. South East Globe 2025
- 1st Runner-up, Mrs. USA Curve
Beyond her beauty and grace, Dr. Khadija Lilley is celebrated for her humanitarian spirit and entrepreneurial leadership. In 2024, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Construction Management, recognising her dedication to innovation and social development. That same year, she received the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award from U.S. President Joe Biden, honouring her outstanding contributions to society and service to humanity.
Deeply committed to giving back, Dr. Lilley has devoted her success to meaningful causes. She personally funded a water well in her home village, ensuring access to clean water for local families, and continues to support education, books, and healthcare initiatives for children and schools in her community. Her work reflects her lifelong belief that true success is measured not by crowns, but by compassion.
Speaking about her latest recognition, Dr. Lilley shared:
“Being named the Moroccan Caftan Ambassador is not just about fashion, it’s about identity, pride, and the beauty of our Moroccan heritage. The caftan represents centuries of craftsmanship and resilience, and I’m honoured to carry that legacy to an international stage.”
Today, Dr. Khadija Lilley continues to inspire as a model, influencer, entrepreneur, healthcare professional, wife, mother, and philanthropist. Her journey stands as a testament to the power of ambition rooted in purpose, embodying what it means to be both a queen on stage and a leader in life.
About Dr. Khadija Lilley
Dr. Khadija Lilley is an internationally recognised model, entrepreneur, and humanitarian leader. With a background in construction management and healthcare, she has built a diverse career dedicated to empowerment, education, and philanthropy. Her global recognition in pageantry and her commitment to community upliftment continue to inspire women worldwide to lead with heart, heritage, and hope.
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