A time series model for estimating the generation of lead acid battery scrap

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)—also known as e-waste—is one of the fastest growing problems throughout the world, due to serious future concerns over its management and recycling. These concerns involve the release of persistent toxic substances into the environment and the lack of reliable data about the quantities of waste being generated. Lead acid batteries (LABs) are a type of WEEE with short lifecycles and toxicity. This article proposes a mathematical approach for estimating LAB scrap by combining battery lifespans and car sales data with time series modeling. The results show that the number of vehicle sales grows at a relatively low rate compared to the growth of LAB scrap generation, showing the ripple effect of waste. The main contribution of this proposal is that the time series model can be used to estimate LAB scrap generation data by utilizing car sales data and lifespan estimation.