“As part of the process of obtaining that 99-year licence, Lithium Australia and Envirostream Australia worked together to develop specific, in-house improvements that enhance safety in the collection, storage and processing of spent batteries and further reduce any fire risk associated with their recycling. We lead the industry in that respect,” says LIT MD.
Lithium Australia NL (ASX:LIT, OTC:LMMFF)’s Victorian battery recycling facility Envirostream Australia has been issued a 99-year operating licence for battery recycling.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Victoria-issued operating licence provides the environmental and legal framework for Envirostream Australia to continue battery recycling activities at its premises in Campbellfield, Victoria.
An onshore, mixed-battery recycling company, Envirostream stands out in Australia for its ability to collect, sort, shred and separate all the components of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries (‘LIBs’), as well as single-use alkaline batteries.
“Environmental duty of care”
Lithium Australia is a Perth-based company that aims to ‘ensure an ethical and sustainable supply of components to the battery industry worldwide’. The company utilises its critical battery-metal-processing expertise to streamline Envirostream’s reclamation process, making it an ideal fit for the licence.
“EPA licensing of our Victorian battery recycling facility for the next 99 years ensures that environmental safeguards are in place for the ever-increasing battery utilisation required to decarbonise the economy,” Lithium Australia managing director Adrian Griffin said.
“Australia has an environmental duty of care to establish compliant recycling facilities that can safely process the expected increase in volume of end-of-life batteries, providing sustainable materials for this critically important manufacturing sector and reducing environmental pollution – the legacy of what has until now been a poorly managed industry.
“As part of the process of obtaining that 99-year licence, Lithium Australia and Envirostream Australia worked together to develop specific, in-house improvements that enhance safety in the collection, storage and processing of spent batteries and further reduce any fire risk associated with their recycling. We lead the industry in that respect.
“The roll-out of a national battery stewardship scheme that commoditises spent batteries and discourages their disposal in landfill is imminent and this will certainly increase the volume of spent batteries available for recycling.”
Growing volumes to be recycled
Victoria banned the disposal of spent batteries to landfill in 2019 because many contain toxic materials capable of polluting soil, groundwater and waterways.
Envirostream is the only mixed battery recycler in Australia, focused on diverting as much battery material from landfill as possible. The company – and its 90% owner LIT – are well placed to capitalise on growing volumes of spent batteries.
An announcement by the Battery Stewardship Council – established following an industry briefing by the Battery Industry Working Group in VIC – that it has secured federal government and industry funding to establish an accredited process for their collection and recycling will likely vastly increase battery recycling material volume.
Scheduled to commence January 2022, the Battery Stewardship Scheme will collect a levy on each new battery sold and use the funds to subsidise the collection and processing of end-of-life batteries.
Operating licence
Envirostream applied for an operating licence for its activity site in the northern Melbourne suburb of Campbellfield in 2020 using EPA Victoria’s long-route licence pathway. The licence gives permission under section 74(1)(a) of the Environment Protection Act 2017 for Envirostream to reprocess specified electronic waste, including batteries, at a capacity exceeding 500 tonnes per year.
This licence is valid for 99 years and subject to multiple conditions, including the installation of thermal imaging cameras and firewall protection systems for the early detection and management of potential fire incidents. Conditions for air emission are also stipulated.
A change-of-land-use application for the Campbellfield premises is in progress at the Hume City Council. Envirostream has complied with all requests for information from the council and LIT expects that this application too will be approved.
Envirostream ensures its management systems and safety and environmental procedures exceed industry standards by working closely with appropriate regulatory bodies, thereby minimising risk to local communities.
The battery-recycling company’s focus on continuous improvements ensures that battery recycling in Australia remains safe, environmentally friendly, and sustainable.
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