A national recycling scheme for batteries has made a powerful start, diverting the equivalent of 38 million AA batteries from landfill in its first six months.
The B-cycle scheme has doubled the national collection rate of loose batteries and power tool batteries since it began in February, to 16.4 per cent.
There's still a long way to go, but it aims to end the disposal of toxic batteries at landfill sites and recover valuable elements that are in limited supply: copper, cobalt, nickel, manganese and the so-called metal of the decade, lithium.
Libby Chaplin is the CEO of the industry-led, federal government accredited scheme and says the strong, early start is a win for both the environment and the circular economy.
The scheme is focused on making it ultra-convenient for Australian consumers to recycle batteries and drastically reduce the estimated 90 per cent of batteries that wound up in landfill before the scheme began.
So far there's a network of 3200 collection points across all states and territories. But it's hoped that could swell to more than 30,000 over time.
The Battery Stewardship Council runs the scheme, which brings together battery importers, retailers, recyclers, and consumers to create a circular economy for battery materials.
Gerry Morvell chairs the council's board and says the process has its challenges.
"We recognise this has presented issues for the recycling industry as it scales up and adjusts to a role in product stewardship with its increased focus on transparency and accountability," he wrote in a report on the scheme's first six months of operation.
He said battery use was projected to soar over the next few decades, ramping up pressures on resources, and the need to recycle valuable materials.
"This growth is also leading to concerns about the impact of new energy systems on the long-term availability of resources and the economic and environmental impacts of the extraction and use of critical metals and other elements.
"The role for product stewardship with its underpinning philosophy of a circular economy has never been greater."
The recycling scheme covers the most common types of household batteries, such as the ones that power remote controls, gaming handsets and fire alarms.
Button batteries are also be accepted along with easily removable batteries from larger devices such as cameras, power tools and even e-bikes.
Mobile phone and computer batteries are not included because there are other established recycling programs for those.
Drop off points, including major retailers, can be found at bcycle.com.au.
