Publication date: 15th December 2025
Transient batteries are devices that, after a stable operation time, degrade at a controlled rate, ultimately leaving minimal to no trace [1]. Such batteries are useful for environmental-monitoring sensors, where the device could be biodegraded in nature at its end of life, without needing retrieval. When materials are carefully selected to be non-toxic, this approach offers a highly sustainable alternative to conventional batteries, which are typically designed for durability, resist degradation, and often incorporate environmentally harmful substances. However, transient systems are instrinsically designed for devices that cannot be retrieved at the end of their life cycle, making recycling impractical. This approach conflicts with the sustainability principles of a circular economy, which emphasize continuous reuse and recycling of materials after their initial sourcing [2].
In this work, we propose a solution to this challenge and develop a Zn-MnO2 battery derived from waste products. The use of waste materials represents a unique opportunity to align with the principles of a circular economy. Despite increasing recycling efforts, some waste inevitably exits the valorisation loop of a circular economy. Reintroducing certain waste products into this cycle therefore not only creates value from otherwise discarded materials, but also lowers the resource loss when transient devices are degraded at their end of life. We focus on the food waste stream, as food products are bio-based and non-toxic, showing inherent potential for biodegradable devices. Specifically, we revalorize spent coffee grounds and shrimp shells waste to produce a gel-polymer electrolyte (GPE). We show that this waste-based GPE meets the requirements needed for incorporation in aqueous battery systems, with an ionic conductivity of 22 mS/cm, an electrochemical stability window of 2V and a Young’s modulus of 40 kPa. The developed GPE was incorporated in a Zn-MnO2 pouch cell battery that achieved an open-circuit voltage of 1.37 V and completed multiple charge/discharge cycles, confirming the feasibility of this approach.
These findings highlight the potential of transforming food waste into functional battery materials, paving the way for biodegradable and environmentally responsible energy storage solutions.
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