UP FRONT
Leading the charge Every year Australians buy enough batteries to circle the world twice.
AUSTRALIA’S B-CYCLE BATTERY RECYCLING SCHEME AIMS TO COMBAT ONE OF THE NATION’S FASTEST-GROWING WASTE STREAMS. THE LAUNCH OF THE GOVERNMENT-BACKED SCHEME SHINES A LIGHT ON WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT.
H
undreds of millions of batteries help to power our lives every year, until they run flat, and we throw them away. Gerry Morvell, Chair of the Battery Stewardship Council, says batteries are such an integral part of our modern world. They underpin the technologies used
in the digital economy, electronic convenience devices, sustainable transport systems and energy storage, which is essential in Australia’s shift to net zero emissions. However, no matter what size or chemistry, all batteries have a fixed life. He says all of us have had to decide what to do with a dead
battery – throw it in a drawer or in a jar in the garage, in a waste bin or dispose of it in a recycling system. “Ultimately, most have ended up in landfill,” he says. “Given the phenomenal growth projections of battery use, if we don’t move to a circular economy now, then the impacts on human health and
www.wastemanagementreview.com.au / WMR / 23
