Battery Circular Economy News

1. WISH YOU COULD REDUCE THE ADMINISTRATIVE COST OF NATIONAL HAZARDOUS WASTE TRACKING? NOW’S YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO PUT FORWARD SUGGESTIONS ON HOW THIS COULD HAPPEN.

As part of an ABRI priority project to reduce the administrative cost of national hazardous waste tracking, ABRI has been engaging with the NSW and Qld government teams developing the national waste tracking system. ABRI’s goal is to reduce the administrative burden for business while still supporting strong waste tracking and safety outcomes. Improved data collection will assist everyone.

The team has invited ABRI to make a submission on measures that could reduce paperwork and process duplication as the national waste tracking system is developed. This includes putting forward learnings from the development of the Victorian waste tracking system.

To make this submission as strong as possible, ABRI CEO, Katharine Hole, would like to hear from you as to what processes cost you the most in time and resources and what suggestions you have for streamlining and approving process. Detailed examples of specific processes and how these could be improved would be useful.

Please ring Katharine on 0488 216 750 or email to discuss further.

2. FIRE AND RESCUE NSW - TRIAL HAZARD WARNING STICKER ON POTENTIALLY DAMAGED LI-ION BATTERIES HANDED OVER AFTER AN INCIDENT

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has contacted ABRI to let members know that it is preparing to trial a hazard warning sticker as part of handover actions following incidents involving Li-ion batteries.

The sticker (see above) will be applied to any device that is suspected of having a potentially damaged Li-ion battery, including electric vehicles, e-scooters, e-bikes and home energy storage. Battery damage could be due to any incident, such as a fire or other emergency, attended by FRNSW.

FRNSW advises that damaged lithium-ion batteries present a number of risks including electric shock or fire sometimes days or weeks after the batteries are damaged. FRNSW is urging anyone engaged with the handling of these products to follow FRNSW’s warning advice.

FRNSW’s intention in developing and using the sticker is to warn of hazards associated with a damaged battery. The sticker includes a QR code link to a dedicated page on FRNSW’s website for further information regarding the management of hazards. It is intended to remain on the device/battery until the battery has been checked by a suitably qualified technician or the battery is recycled.

The sticker will initially be rolled out as a trial to a number of FRNSW stations with the expectation that it will be rolled out to all stations once the initial evaluation has been undertaken. The trial will commence in September 2022 and will be evaluated in January 2023.

At the end of the trial, ABRI will arrange a presentation for interested members with FRNSW  to share learnings.

3. PRESENTATION - OVERVIEW OF LITHIUM AND EMERGING BATTERY TECHNOLOGIES

ABRI in conjunction with Deakin University will hold an information session on lithium batteries and other emerging technologies from 1-2pm on 22 August.

Dr Hiroyuki Ueda, a Research Fellow at Deakin University’s Institute for Fronter Materials, will present on:

• current technologies – lithium-ion, sodium-sulfur and redox flow batteries
• emerging technologies – ‘advanced’ lithium, zinc air and sodium

To join the presentation please register. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

4. AUSTRALASIAN WASTE & RECYCLING EXPO (AWRE) - RESOURCE RECOVERY SUMMIT - DISCOUNT OFFER FOR ABRI MEMBERS

AWRE is offering a discounted rate for ABRI members to the Resource Recovery Summit (24 August). This half-day Summit is new for 2022 and is specifically designed for high-level collaboration between industry, government, and the waste sector. This year’s Summit will feature keynote sessions on commercial & industrial, construction & demolition and municipal solid waste from companies like Veolia, Bingo, MRA Consulting, Remondis, The Australian Council of Recycling and more.

To access the discounted offer use this link – AWRE22_Resource Recovery__ABRICode.

5. ABRI PROVIDING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE TO DEVELOPMENT OF BATTERY RECYCLING GUIDELINES UNDER THE BASEL CONVENTION

A Basle Convention working group is reviewing the 2003 Technical Guidelines for the Environmentally Sound Management of Waste Lead-Acid Batteries . The working group is also proposing to create technical guidelines for other types of battery recycling including lithium batteries.

The Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, The Environment and Water (DCCEEW) has invited ABRI to participate as an observer on the working group to share our knowledge and expertise. The Commonwealth government as a party to the Basel Convention is Australia’s member to the working group. ABRI will work with department officials to put forward ideas and to assist with refining the text of the guidance.

The invitation for ABRI to participate is a great reflection on ABRI’s growing profile and strong representation on behalf of the battery recycling industry.

Further details will be provided as they become available and any member seeking more information can email the ABRI Secretariat.

6. VICTORIA – DELWP, EPA, SV AND RV – DIAGRAM SETTING OUT WASTE, RECYCLING AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Would you like to understand more about the circular economy responsibilities across the Victorian government. This two-page document sets out the Portfolio Roles and Responsibilities of the agencies responsible for the circular economy component of the government’s environment and climate change priorities. These agencies are:

• DEWLP – Department of Environment, Water, Land, Water and Planning
• EPA – Environment Protection Authority
• SV – Sustainability Victoria
• RV – Recycling Victoria

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