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1. YOUR PRIORITIES FOR ABRI IN 2022 AND MEMBER NETWORKING - ABRI MEMBERS MEETING - 2PM TO 4.30PM, 1 DECEMBER 2021 |
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Share your views on ABRI’s 2022 priorities and meet other members in the battery recycling industry at the ABRI Members Meeting on 1 December (2 to 4.30pm).
Come prepared for an informal discussion on:
- Prioritising ABRI’s 2022 work program and beyond
- What do you see as the battery recycling industry’s priorities for 2022?
- How can ABRI activities align with your organisation’s priorities?
- List the top long term challenge ABRI should be working on now?
- How else can ABRI add value to your organisation?
- Where does ABRI provide the most value for your organisation?
- Where can ABRI improve in assisting your organisation?
- How can ABRI build its profile to support the battery recycling industry?
You can register for this meeting at
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwodOCurj0pGdJqxmnwg8h9pAtIbS2pC-i2
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
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2. ABRI AND ABIA POOLING EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE TO DELIVER BETTER OUTCOMES FOR MEMBERS, CUSTOMERS AND INDUSTRY |
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The ABRI Executive Committee has been working with the Australian Battery Industry Association (ABIA) Board to identify where pooled expertise and experience can deliver better outcomes for members, customers and industry of both organisations through
- Advocating for and driving product quality standards
- Strengthening safety and compliance
- Minimising environmental impacts throughout the battery life cycle
- Providing a stronger and unified voice to government
For those of you who aren’t familiar with ABIA, it represents companies supply batteries for the automotive, recreational, marine and industrial battery sectors. Members range from multinationals to small businesses involving local manufacture, importation and distribution.
The ABRI/ABIA work has resulted in a DRAFT Statement of collaboration, which sets out how the two organisations will work together.
Over 2022, ABIA and ABRI working groups will work on projects to:
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- Support improved product quality and business operational management of emerging products; and
- Strengthen, streamline and harmonise regulatory arrangements.
ABRI proposes to publish the Statement on the ABRI website and LinkedIn pages over the coming week.
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3. HELPING ABRI MEMBERS THROUGH THE REGULATORY MAZE - PRESENTATION 10AM 7 DECEMBER |
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ABRI is collaborating with storEnergy on a cross-disciplinary project bringing together the battery recycling industry, PhD chemistry students and Deakin University legal students to provide a clear framework on existing regulatory procedures and use this to inform best practice for emerging battery circular economy challenges.
The project investigation is split into two pathways – lead acid batteries, where the recycling industry and regulatory framework is well established, and mixed batteries (lithium, alkaline, nickel etc), which includes new and emerging technology.
The project team presentated at the storEnergy symposium on 25 November as seen in the picture. ABRI is hosting a presentation for interested members on the initial phase of the project at 10-11am, Tuesday 7 December. This presentation will be interactive with the students presenting their thoughts on how to set up the framework and seeking feedback from members as to what information would be useful for members.
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4. NATIONAL HAZARDOUS WASTE DATA TRACKING SYSTEM MOVES TO EOI PHASE |
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The development of a nationally consistent tracking and data system for the movement and stockpiling of hazardous and controlled waste is a key action under the National Waste Policy Action Plan.
ABRI is working closely with governments on this issue to advocate for a national, harmonised waste data tracking system to improve business operating efficiencies and data transparency and consistency. ABRI’s support for this project has been acknowledged in a letter from NSW Minister for Energy and Environment.
NSW is leading the implementation of the action and as part of this work the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has issued an EOI for a partner to:
- bring the latest market innovations and customer solutions to the design, delivery and operation of a best-practice item tracking and data system
- work with diverse stakeholders (users, industry and regulators) to design and develop a solution that is widely adopted, easy to use and low cost to operate.
The first use case will be for a nationally consistent tracking and data system for the movement and stockpiling of hazardous and controlled waste under the National Waste Policy Action Plan. The NSW EPA is working with the Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DES) to develop the first stages of a national system for use in NSW and Queensland initially. Successful delivery of this solution may lead to opportunities with other jurisdictions and application of the solution to other use cases.
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5. BSC CONSULTATION WITH ABRI MEMBERS SESSION 4 |
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BSC consultation with ABRI Members, Session 4, focused on management of damaged batteries, metro and regional zones, and other guidelines to be released. Further information on the metro and regional zones will be released by the BSC in coming weeks.
The working group is approaching consensus on some of the parameters for management of damaged batteries, such as:
- Must be in line with regulatory requirements and any other instructions
- Leaking batteries can go in a plastic bag and be dropped in B-cycle bins – further work to go on taping to balance safety with impacts on recycling process
- Swollen batteries need to leave the household quickly but still to be determined best drop off point to balance safety, environmental factors and understand cost impacts
- Fire blankets and vermiculite are options for wrapping swollen batteries – vermiculite is lighter but not all households may have this
- Water is not an option for management of batteries due to environmental restrictions on disposal of wastewater
- If BSC has different approach from NZ Draft Guidelines for Small Battery Collection then the BSC will need to clearly set out rationale
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