A report that was published by the United Nations Development Program on the disposal of electric vehicle batteries states that Samoa does not possess sufficient capacity to dispose of all types of batteries within Samoa. 

The main reasons for this inadequacy include a lack of economies of scale and the advanced technology required for recycling.

"At the time of writing, Samoa does not possess sufficient capacity to dispose of all types of batteries within the country, mainly due to a lack of economy of scale and the sophisticated technology required for recycling. Until this is possible, a feasible in-country disposal solution for batteries (both vehicle and ESS batteries) is to transport and store them at appropriate facilities, pack them, and then export them overseas to countries that can dispose of the batteries in an environmentally sound manner," stated the report.

However, as explained, the transport of batteries from Samoa to overseas destinations for dismantling will trigger the Basel Convention and Waigani Convention, to which Samoa is a party. Whilst the international regulations relevant to the transboundary movement of Lithium-Ion batteries exist, Samoa will need support to comply with these regulations as well as to find relevant destinations that will be able to receive the batteries and take responsibility for final disposal. 

The Integrated Battery Management Strategy suggested it should cover both access to markets as well as compliance requirements for the Basel Convention and Waigani Convention.

There are definitely environmental downsides to the lithium-ion batteries that power electric cars. EV lithium-ion batteries are made with materials that are expensive, and in some cases, toxic and flammable. Primary materials include lithium, nickel, cobalt, and copper. The mining of these rare materials, their manufacturing processes, and their eventual disposal pose real environmental challenges.

Each ton of refined lithium uses up to half a million gallons of water. The results deplete the water table and cause soil contamination.

Waste batteries, in particular, EV batteries, are considered as a hazardous waste type due to the harmful impacts that they may have during any steps at End Of Life (EOL) management process. Therefore, EOL disposal activities for batteries will require consideration of how hazardous wastes are currently being regulated and managed in Samoa.

"Two retailers state that they drop off the batteries to local waste recycling companies, such as Pacific Recycle Co. Ltd for disposal; one retailer claims that the batteries are packed by their staff, and shipped back directly to the original battery supplier, likely once per two years, for inspection purposes," stated the report. 

"In the future, one retailer indicates that they will start with stock one of every twenty EV batteries in four years; one will consider importing EV batteries in the future, as per obligation to perform after-sales services, but will not store the new batteries on-site for selling.

"One retailer stays open and prefers to make decisions based on the sales in the future. All three retailers are highly aware of the current challenge of battery management in Samoa. To prepare for the EV battery disposal, one retailer suggests that the Government of Samoa should appoint a major entity to enforce that all battery distributors and stakeholders abide by disposal policies and regulations, when available."

The report stated that frequent inspections should also be performed, with heavy fines be imposed for non-compliance. Besides, best practices should be shared across all stakeholders in Samoa. As for EV battery disposal solutions, repurposing of EV batteries should be prioritised.