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On Friday, car company Mercedes-Benz had a groundbreaking ceremony for a sustainable battery recycling factory in southern Germany.
Annually, the factory will make a maximum of 2500 metric tons, which is more than 50,000 batteries for new electric Mercedes-Benz cars. The factory will recycle old batteries from test vehicles and batteries that are used to start cars.
Mercedes-Benz calls the factory a “pilot plant” which means the company is using this factory as a test. If the pilot plant is successful, Mercedes could increase the production of batteries. The company might also make similar factories in the future.
Construction of the factory will begin in December of this year. If construction and other plans go smoothly, the factory will be completed a few months later.
The pilot plant will be built next to Mercedes’ Kuppenheim plant which uses solar and other types of green electricity. The German government is paying for the construction of the pilot plant because it is part of a research project about climate protection.
Thekla Walker, a minister for the environment, climate, and energy in Germany says she is happy that Mercedes is promoting recycling, especially for rare earth elements that are now in high demand.
Vocabulary
- Groundbreaking ceremony – a special event that marks or celebrates the beginning of building/constructing a new building
- Sustainable – something that you can continue to use without causing damage to the environment or using up all the resources; eco-friendly; not bad for the Earth;
- Recycle – to use again; to change trash into something useable; repurpose
- Factory – a large building where things are made or produced
- Annually – every year; yearly
- Metric ton – 1,000 kilograms (kg)
- Test vehicle – a special kind of car or other vehicle that’s used for testing new ideas or technologies, not for sale
- Pilot – a test/experiment/trial that’s done on a small scale to see if something will work before doing it on a larger scale
- Plant – a factory, a place where a product is built or made
- Test – to do something to learn if it is safe, works correctly, etc.; try out
- Production – the process of making or creating something, usually on a large scale/in large numbers
- Construction – the action of building something; creation; the process of making a building
- Go smoothly – when something happens without any problems or difficulties
- Solar – of or related to the sun; produced by or coming from the sun
- Green electricity – energy generated/created from renewable sources (wind, solar, water, etc.) without creating/making greenhouse gasses (CO2)
- Research – the process of studying a subject to learn more about it and gain new understanding
- Climate protection – actions/ideas to prevent or reduce harm/damage to the Earth’s climate
- Minister – a government person in charge of a department; government secretary; politician
- Environment – the natural world, the place we live, the area around us, nature
- Energy – fuel; electricity; power; oil
- Promote – to advertise; to market; to push; to make people aware; to make popular
- Rare earth elements – 17 different “metals” that are similar and found underground
- High demand – when a lot of people want something and there isn’t enough of it for everyone
Quiz
Discussion Questions
- What do you think are some benefits of sustainable battery recycling, and how does it help protect the environment?
- Do you think other car companies will follow Mercedes-Benz’s lead and invest in battery recycling, and how important do you think it is for companies to be seen as environmentally friendly?
- What are some of the challenges that companies might face when trying to implement sustainable practices like battery recycling, and what can be done to reduce these challenges?
Original Story
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