The Battery Stewardship Council, in collaboration with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Motor Trades Association of Australia, is urging the EV sector to act now in order to define the future of this major waste stream.
In particular, the council said that by 2050, Australia will need to recycle 1.6 million tonnes of spent EV batteries, with industry action required to avert a serious public health and safety problem.
According to preliminary study findings made public today by the Battery Stewardship Council (BSC), the amount of used electric vehicle (EV) batteries entering the waste stream will increase rapidly, reaching roughly 30,000 tonnes by 2030 and a mind-boggling 1.6 million tonnes by 2050.
The council stated that battery stewardship is a key component of the effort to encourage EV adoption in Australia, as stated in the recently released National Electric Vehicle Strategy.
In order to discover and build the infrastructure required to recover priceless resources and prevent further hoarding and fires, it is imperative that this activity begin as soon as possible, while it is still in its infancy.
BSC CEO Libby Chaplin said, “EV batteries present increasing risks and opportunities which the vehicle industry is yet to deal with at scale.
He said that the industry must invest right away in EV battery stewardship and recycling infrastructure if it wants to prevent future costly solutions and miss out on the revenue prospects provided by used battery recycling.
“The EV industry is facing a golden opportunity to take the lead in designing a scheme that is cost-effective, fit for purpose, and avoids the mistakes and costly fall-out of inaction as seen recently by the Solar Panel industry by prioritising the discussion of end-of-life processes today,” Chaplin noted.
The Federal Government has commissioned the BSC to lead industry consultation on the development of EV battery stewardship, and it is inviting the EV industry to contribute to a Discussion Paper, which will be delivered in collaboration with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA).
BSC has a track record of providing battery stewardship for smaller batteries, and it revealed it is working with the EV sector to develop a customised solution for EV batteries that benefits the whole supply chain and upholds its commitment to environmental sustainability.
Founded in 2018, the Battery Stewardship Council was established with the primary goal of establishing a Battery Stewardship Scheme in Australia that would see a significant increase in battery collections and recycling, with funding secured from industry, all states and territories and the Federal Government.
