DONGGUAN, China They call themselves "garbage collectors", but the metal boxes that Mr Li and his team in southern China gather and sell are in reality immensely valuable and difficult to come by.
The seven men are traders of a hot new commodity in the world's biggest and most mature electric-vehicle market: used batteries.
Each one contains prized ingredients like lithium, cobalt and nickel that can be extracted and resold.
With millions of electric vehicles (EVS) now ready to be discarded, and thousands already abandoned in graveyards across the nation, there is a flood of retired batteries waiting to be recycled.
All those precious metals, hidden in junkyards, carparks and driveways across China, are a crucial resource as global competition for critical minerals escalates and countries jostle to come out on top in the green transition.
An effective, safe and environmentally friendly system for collecting and processing batteries would put Chinese carmakers ahead of the curve. They would be able to produce electric cars with recycled batteries at scale making them doubly green giving them an edge over international rivals as governments mandate more EV sales and places like Europe require minimum levels of recycled metals in vehicles.
Reaching that point, however, will require consolidating a sprawling industry of thousands of players from freelancers like Mr Li and other small unofficial recycling workshops, to giant battery makers. Mr Li, 29, is part of a grey market that has emerged alongside a fast-growing battery recycling industry seeking to profit from China's first wave of EV decommissioning. He asked to use only his last name because he operates outside the government system set up for processing used batteries.
Denne historien er fra December 25, 2023-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra December 25, 2023-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
VERDY'S APPROACH AN EYE-OPENER
Former Lions turned coaches Alam Shah and Isa inspired by stint with Japanese club
Lions' morale-boosting win comes at a price
The Lions got a much-needed morale booster ahead of the Asean Football Federation (AFF) Championship as they beat Tokyo Verdy 2-1 on Oct 11 in the second of three friendlies against J1 League opponents in their Japan training tour.
Conditions to blame for 'ugly' draw, says Messi
Argentina were held to a 1-1 draw by Venezuela on Lionel Messi's return, as Brazil got their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign back on track with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Chile on Oct 10.
Belgium punish Italy at set pieces in 2-2 draw
Italy coach Luciano Spalletti blamed bad luck, as Belgium bounced back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with his 10-man side in Rome on Oct 10 to boost their hopes of reaching the Nations League quarter-finals.
CARSLEY'S MIDFIELD OVERLOAD BACKFIRES
England temp boss dismayed by mistakes as Three Lions lose to Greece for first time
Player strike in England unlikely: Sports law expert
The chorus of frustrated players and managers speaking out against football's gruelling fixture schedule continues to grow, with Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate the latest to say he would support players' right to strike.
SOCCEROOS HAVE NO FEAR
They head to Japan with confidence despite never having beaten the Samurai Blue there
Toyota back in F1 with Haas tie-up
The United States-owned Haas Formula One team and Toyota announced a multi-year technical partnership on Oct 11, in a move bringing Japan's biggest carmaker back to grand prix racing for the first time since 2009.
SABALENKA TO STICK TO HER BRAVE PLAN
World No. 2 will be aggressive in Wuhan semi against Gauff; Fritz takes on Djokovic
Nadal's beauty lay in his purity as a competitor
To appreciate the retiring Rafael Nadal we can flip through record books, hunt down Uncle Toni, sift the clay for archaeological clues, speak to Roger Federer's therapist, delve into the physics of spin, but really it's best if we start with a dictionary.