B-cycle has increased battery recycling among Australians by 30 per cent and quadrupled the number of public drop-off points.
The government-backed recycling scheme, founded by not-for-profit organisation, the Battery Stewardship Council (BSC), has facilitated the growth of accessible battery recycling services for consumers across Australia by providing over 4,195 drop-off points for people to safely and recycle everyday loose batteries.
Libby Chaplin, CEO of B-cycle, said industry participants and the broader public are the driving force behind the success of B-cycle, and continued support will be critical to scale the scheme and service Australia’s future demand for batteries.
“There is great potential to increase Australia’s capacity to contribute to a circular battery supply chain. This report underlines the strong environmental and climate benefits of B-cycle and the recovery of materials from used batteries offering a crucial opportunity in curbing emissions for the battery industry as it continues to rapidly scale both locally and globally.”
This year, Australians will purchase enough equivalent batteries to circle the earth seven times and by 2050, this will increase to 37 times. Batteries contain finite natural materials, and most components are recyclable, so continued growth in recycling is essential to manage this demand.
“Given that the recycling and refurbishment infrastructure and capacity is currently insufficient to deal with this forecasted growth in batteries entering the waste stream, it is imperative that industry is continue to be pro-active in demonstrating stewardship outcomes to an increasingly aware consumer base.
“In 2024 we will resume our engagement with the EV sector to explore stewardship options to ensure we’re prepared as the electrification of the transport sector continues,” said Chaplin.
B-cycle’s annual Positive Change Report underlines the increased progress and success of the scheme in the last year and reflects the commitment of the industry to come together with the BSC to transform the landscape of battery stewardship in Australia.
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