The rules that apply in Australia
Australia has no mandatory national EV battery take-back scheme yet. Small batteries are covered by the voluntary B-cycle stewardship scheme, while an industry-led stewardship approach for EV and large-format batteries is still being developed. In practice, end-of-life packs are handled under state EPA waste licensing, and the export of battery waste or black mass needs a federal permit.
Retired volumes are still modest and dominated by passenger EVs and early fleet vehicles, with growing interest in second-life storage for solar-heavy grids.
What producers and holders must do
Producer responsibility follows whoever placed the battery on the market, but the practical burden often lands on the fleet or workshop holding the retired asset.
- Use a facility licensed by the relevant state EPA for storage and processing
- Hold a federal permit under the Hazardous Waste (Regulation of Exports and Imports) Act 1989 before exporting battery waste
- Keep dangerous goods documentation under the Australian Dangerous Goods Code for road transport
- Track state landfill bans on e-waste, which in several states capture batteries
Local permitting around Melbourne, Victoria
The yard operates under Victorian environmental rules administered by EPA Victoria and national battery stewardship arrangements. Transport follows the Australian Dangerous Goods Code.
The document set
Road movements follow the Australian Dangerous Goods Code, with lithium-ion batteries shipped as Class 9 under UN 3480 or UN 3481. Each consignment carries a dangerous goods declaration, a transporter authorisation, a weighbridge record and a chain-of-custody sheet.
| Document | When | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous goods declaration | Before pickup | UN 3480 / UN 3481 classification and damage status |
| Chain-of-custody sheet | At handover | Links serials to transporter and destination |
| Weighbridge record | At gate-in | Verified mass for certificates and settlement |
| Recovery certificate | After processing | Quantity, recovery per metal and downstream vendors |
Booking a collection in the Melbourne, Victoria catchment
These site-specific notes help collections run on time.
- Declare chemistry and state of charge at booking.
- Storage installers can book collections.
- Damaged units require special handling.
- Consolidated loads reduce transport cost.