The Battery Stewardship Council together with Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries and the Motor Trades Association of Australia, calls on EV industry to act now and shape the future of this major waste stream
Preliminary research findings released today by the Battery Stewardship Council (BSC) shows the number of used Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries entering the waste stream will grow exponentially to almost 30,000 tonnes by 2030, and a staggering 1.6 million tonnes by 2050.
As outlined in the recent National Electric Vehicle Strategy, battery stewardship is a crucial element of the drive to increase uptake of EVs in Australia. It is essential that this work starts now, while it is in its infancy, to explore and establish the infrastructure needed to recover precious resources and avoid the major property and public health issue of stockpiling and fires into the future.
BSC CEO Libby Chaplin said, “EV batteries present increasing risks and opportunities which the vehicle industry is yet to deal with at scale. Investment in EV battery stewardship and recycling infrastructure is immediately needed for industry to avoid costly solutions in the future and miss out on the financial opportunities offered by the recycling of used batteries. 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.”
The BSC has been commissioned by the Federal Government to drive industry consultation around the development of EV battery stewardship and is calling on the EV industry to contribute to a Discussion Paper, delivered in collaboration with the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) and the Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA).
BSC has an established record on delivering battery stewardship for smaller batteries and is seeking to support the EV industry to create a tailor-made solution for EV batteries that works for the entire supply chain and lives up to its green credentials.
Industry can find the Discussion Paper at the following LINK and all submissions are due by 30 June 2023.
NOTE TO EDITORS
Research commissioned by the BSC in 2022 and conducted by the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney presents new insight into batteries being used in EVs and how many of those batteries will reach their end of life and require recycling. The research to be published in July 2023, considered the year on year growth of the number of End of Life EV batteries in Australia and projections based on import data from 2021. Key takeaways find:
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There are around 100,000 EVs currently on the road.
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By 2030 this is projected there will 600,000 tonnes of batteries in EVs.
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By 2040 this number will grow 25 times to over 2.5 million tonnes and to a staggering 4.1 million batteries used in EVs in Australia by 2050.
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The proliferation of EVs is in its infancy, with less than 1000 tonnes of batteries reaching their end of life but with the projected growth the volume of used batteries is set to grow exponentially.
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By 2030 the number of used batteries will grow to almost 30,000 tonnes and by 2040 to over 360,000 tonnes of used batteries.
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By 2050 the volume of used EVs batteries having entered the waste stream will have reached 1.6 million tonnes.
Available for interview:
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Libby Chaplin, CEO Battery Stewardship Council
Discussion Paper Link: https://bcycle.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/BSC_FCAI_MTAA-EVB-Stewardship-Discussion-Paper-20230402.pdf
About us:
ABOUT THE BATTERY STEWARDSHIP COUNCIL
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. www.bsc.org.au
BSC launched B-cycle in 2022, supported by the Commonwealth and all State and Territory Governments, and authorised by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). B-cycle is Australia’s first nationwide, government-backed battery recycling Scheme and in its first six months more than doubled the national battery collection rate. It’s the safe and simple way to help build a world where no battery goes to waste. www.bcycle.com.au
Contact details:
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
Megan Bentley | [email protected] | 0452 214 611
