Issues 99-year Operating Licence For Battery Recycling
EPA Victoria has issued an operating licence which provides the environmental and legal framework for Lithium Australia (ASX:LIT) subsidiary Envirostream Australia to continue battery recycling activities at its premises in Campbellfield, Victoria.
The licence permits Envirostream Australia to process more than 500 tonnes of specified electronic waste annually.
“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.”
Lithium Australia NL has a 90% ownership interest in Envirostream Australia Pty Ltd. An onshore, mixed-battery recycling company, Envirostream is unique in Australia in 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.
This makes it a perfect fit with the Company’s critical battery metal-processing expertise. In July 2019, Victoria banned the disposal of spent batteries to landfill, given that many contain toxic materials capable of polluting soil, groundwater and waterways.
As the only mixed battery recycler in Australia, Envirostream is focused on diverting as much battery material from landfill as possible, as well as improving the sustainability of the industry via the creation of a circular battery economy.
For further information please visit: https://lithium-au.com/
