19 May 2025

Written By Katharine Hole

1.2025 Summit: Innovations, solutions, opportunities and technical experts to drive industry growth, sustainable supply chains and a battery circular economy

With two months to go until the 2025 Australian Battery Recycling and Manufacturing Summit ABRI is pleased to announce that the agenda is now live with finalisation of the last sessions underway. Join representatives from the industry, energy and automotive sectors and international companies for another informative and thought providing Summit.

ABRI members are likely to be interested in these new sessions:

  1. Dr Adam Best, CSIRO - Future proofing battery recycling - what technologies are headed to the recycling bin?

  2. In conversation - Managing the fire risk of mid-sized lithium-ion batteries

𝑰𝒏 π’„π’π’π’—π’†π’“π’”π’‚π’•π’Šπ’π’ - π‘΄π’‚π’π’‚π’ˆπ’Šπ’π’ˆ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 π‘­π’Šπ’“π’† π‘Ήπ’Šπ’”π’Œ 𝒐𝒇 π‘΄π’Šπ’…-π‘Ίπ’Šπ’›π’†π’… π‘³π’Šπ’•π’‰π’Šπ’–π’Ž-𝑰𝒐𝒏 π‘©π’‚π’•π’•π’†π’“π’Šπ’†π’”

Hosted by Storemasta, this expert-led conversation will focus on the fire risks and control measures associated with mid-sized new and used lithium-ion batteries commonly found in retail settings, workshops and service centres. Join leading voices from dangerous goods risk consulting as they:

  • Share real-world incidents and lessons learned

  • Break down the risks and responsibilities facing businesses

  • Explore practical strategies to reduce fire risk and improve compliance

  • Highlight who businesses can turn to for support and guidance

Whether you're storing, handling, or recycling lithium-ion batteries, this is a session you won’t want to miss. Panel:

This builds on Storemasta’s Chemical Safety at work Podcast The Future of Dangerous Goods: AI, Compliance & Safety

2. Keeping your battery recycling services information up to date on the ABRI website - over 4,200 unique visits since 1 Jan 2025

To raise awareness about your battery recycling services, keeping your information current on the ABRI website is essential. The site is frequently visited by those searching for information on battery recycling service, including resource recovery oprtions for products with embedded batteries. Since the start of 2025, the ABRI website has received over 4,200 unique visits, a 25% increase from last year.

The latest organisation to ask ABRI about member services is the Commonwealth’s Therapeutic Goods Administration. This request is to inform work under a $1.0 million budget allocation in 2024–25 to support research on cost effective and environmentally sustainable methods to dismantle and dispose of vaping products.

The list of ABRI members also demonstrates the depth and breadth of services across the sector. An important marker of industry capacity to deliver Australia’s commitments under the Basel Convention to domestically process hazardous battery waste.

Therefore to boost awareness about your capabilities and the industry overall, please email the ABRI Secretariat with requests to update your information on the ABRI website.

3. Electrify your battery (inc recycling) research in the USA with a grant from the CSIRO Australia-US Researcher Exchange Network

Battery recyclers are eligible to apply for a grant of up to $30,000 to fund 1-3 month exchanges to the USA, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing with leading US institutions.

Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, is offering Australian researchers the opportunity to advance the future of battery technology through research grants. The Australia-US Researcher Exchange Network aims to strengthen Australia-US research ties, build Australian research capacity in battery technology, and ultimately contribute to the development of a robust and sovereign Australian battery industry.

This is your chance to deepen your expertise, boost your career and make a real impact on the future of energy storage. Act now to:

  • advance your battery research & development

  • access cutting-edge facilities

  • develop commercialisation opportunities for Australian battery technology

  • grow your battery manufacturing skills

  • expand your North American network.

Further information, T&Cs, application form, etc

4. ABRI welcomes new member - Secure Insights

ABRI welcomes Secure Insight as a new Affiliate-Professional Services member. Secure Insight is a technology company specialising in solutions that improve security, safety and resource management. They specialise in providing Public Safety, AI and BIM cutting-edge, scalable solutions for governments and companies of all sizes across ANZ and globally. Secure’s technology and services are designed to streamline on-site processes, enhance situational awareness, reliably track resources, and promote personnel safety. They are currently introducing a plant based fire extinguisher product for household, recreational and commercial use for use in a range of fire situations including those from lithium batteries. Further information

5. Victoria reveiw of energy safety regualtory framework to support the transition to renewable energy

Victoria’s Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action is undertaking a study of the Victorian energy safety framework to consider the need for reforms to support the transition to renewable energy technologies (e.g. lithium-ion batteries). Key themes of the study include:

  1. Identifying emerging risks from renewable energy technologies.

  2. Assessing the strengths and gaps of the current regulatory framework.

  3. Developing recommendations for immediate, medium-term, and systemic reforms.

Of particular interest to ABRI members are:

  • Overview of the end of life battery management sector and industry trends - the Department is seeking feedback on this assessment

  • Product safety standards and whether they should be applied to reused/recycled products

  • Online products and concerns about lack of information about the quality and condition (new/reused) of batteries

Submissions are due by 10 June 2025.

ABRI will be making a submission and interested member should also make a submission.

6.Building the Industry’s Voice - out and about with ABRI

ABRI CEO, Katharine Hole, will discuss battery recycling and industry priorities at:

Katharine Hole
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