1. UPDATES ON VICTORIAN ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS COMMENCING 1 JULY

The Victorian EPA is regularly updating its website with information ahead of the commencement of a new approach to environmental management on 1 July 2021. Keep watching for updates and new documentation.

The links below connect to the home page for the new rules and the recent webinar on waste management. The webinar is split into sections so you can listen to those sections which are of most relevance to you.

ABRI continues to work with Vic EPA to prioritise the release of their battery industry guidance.

2. NSW WASTE AND SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS STRATGY 2041 - LEAD ACID BATTERY INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS + SOLAR & BATTERY RECYCLING FUND

The NSW Government has released the Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041. There are two actions to support improved management of used batteries:

• Establishing more Community Recycling Centers to support household management of problematic and hazardous waste, such as batteries. Funding has supported establishment and servicing of 95 Community Recycling Centres (CRCs) around NSW, with another 15 in development; and
• $10 million for grants under the Circular Solar program to improve recycling of solar panels and battery systems

The supporting Guide to Future Infrastructure outlines the emerging needs in the NSW waste and circular economy infrastructure network. There is a particular focus on lead acid battery infrastructure requirements.

Further information can be found in the documents below.

3. HOSTED BY CSIRO - 21ST INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON LITHIUM BATTERIES - SYDNEY, JULY 2022

CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, is hosting the 21st International Meeting on Lithium Batteries (IMLB) in Sydney, Australia from 26 June – 1 July 2022. The IMLB is the largest lithium battery research conference of its type and is held every two years.

The IMLB meetings feature invited talks from specialists in the field and will focus on progress in advanced lithium batteries for energy storage and conversion. The meeting will have an emphasis on basic and applied research findings that have led to improved Li battery materials and to the understanding of the fundamental processes that determine and control electrochemical performance. A major theme of the meeting is to look at advances in lithium-ion technologies and their current and future applications in transportation, commercial, aerospace and biomedical and other emerging industries. The meeting also intends to highlight Australia’s resource strength in minerals used in lithium battery technologies and how Australia is now a recognised powerhouse in the field of battery minerals.

4. LITHIUM ION BATTERY OUTPUT AND UPTAKE IS BOOMING

News stories are focusing on staggering growth rates in lithium ion battery uptake. This will have significant implications for lithium ion battery recycling and how to do to that safely and effectively.

PV Magazine reports on 300% growth in electricity battery storage in the US in 2021

Transport and Environment Europe reports that 38 battery cell gigafactories are being built or planned in the EU and the UK, securing almost EUR 40 billion in investments. However, this investment may be at risk if CO2 emissions standards for cars are not tightened.

The rapid uptake in solar panels over the past decade and the consequent emerging issue of what to do as the panels age provides some lessons for the battery sector. This is discussed in the following article. ABRI would welcome any feedback or insights into best practice lithium ion recycling and reuse frameworks.

5. SOLAR PANEL RECYCLING AND REUSE TRENDS - LESSONS FOR LITHIUM ION BATTERIES?

There is a growing body of policy, regulatory and investment projects looking at improving solar panel reuse and recycling levels. With lithium ion battery uptake rapidly growing, it is timely to look at these initiatives to see what lessons can be learned and applied to encourage lithium ion reuse and recycling. The work underway is consistent with the recommendations in the CSIRO report Australian Landscape for Lithium Ion Battery Recycling and Reuse in 2020 (//publications.csiro.au/publications/publication/PIcsiro:EP208519).

Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI) is working on adding solar panels to its R2 e-scrap certification standard as the volume of solar panels moving into the waste stream continues to grow. Standards and regulations will assist with ensuring good practices emerge. However, challenges remain in developing economically viable models for reuse and/or safe management where solar panels contain hazardous metals.

In Europe, a €4.8 million EU-funded research project is aiming to develop a process that allows recovery of all components of a photovoltaic module.

The below articles from Resource Recycling and PV Magazine look at these developments in the US and Europe, respectively

6. BATTERIES A CRITICAL PART OF THE US SUPPLY CHAIN - RECOMMENDATIONS PRIORITISE RECYLING AND REUSE

The U.S. government has undertaken a review of critical U.S. supply chains to
identify risks, address vulnerabilities and develop a strategy to promote resilience. The review report, Building Resilient Supply Chains, Revitalising American Manufacturing, and Fostering Broad-Based Growth, sets out the findings of the initial set of reviews of the supply chains of four critical products: semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging; large capacity batteries; critical minerals and materials; and pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

The links is below – it’s a detailed, technical report (250 pages) with 267 references to batteries meaning you will need to set aside time to review and consider. The battery section is in pages 85 to 150.

The battery policy focus is on strengthening domestic production and supply chains and investing in the next generation of battery technologies. Pleasingly, the recommendations include developing innovative methods and processes to profitably recover “spent” lithium batteries, reclaim key materials, and re-introduce those materials to the battery supply chain.

7. BECOME AN ABRI MEMBER - THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

ABRI members are actively involved at the forefront of developments in industry and government to address the rapid expansion in the market and ensure that solutions to battery stewardship are practical and far reaching. Together, we influence policy, participate in research, facilitate trials and develop best practices to ensure that battery handling and recovery options are safe, efficient and business friendly. Our members represent the entire supply chain – importers, retailers, energy providers, recyclers, as well as government and research. We rely on member support to provide the latest information, events, best practices and industry trends. If your organisation finds these activities relevant, now is a good time to become involved.

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