The passing of the Product Lifecycle Responsibility Bill in New South Wales – passed late Friday 28th March – marks a historic shift in battery recycling.

Moving from a voluntary stewardship model to a mandatory, government-regulated framework. The Battery Stewardship Council (BSC), which oversees B-cycle, Australia’s official battery recycling scheme, welcomes this significant legislative change. It has profound implications for B-cycle and the broader product stewardship landscape.  

Under the new law, battery brand owners will be required to participate in a regulated product stewardship scheme, ensuring responsible end-of-life management of batteries. This long-awaited move addresses a major challenge that B-cycle has faced: the issue of ‘free riders’ - companies that have avoided voluntary participation, limiting the scheme’s overall effectiveness. 

What This Means for Battery Recycling in NSW:   

• Mandatory product stewardship: The NSW Government will now have the authority to enforce battery stewardship, ensuring all brand owners contribute to safe and responsible recycling.  
• Stronger enforcement for non-compliance: Battery importers and manufacturers who fail to meet their obligations face fines of up to $880,000, incentivising widespread participation.  
• Focus on fire risk reduction: The Bill recognises the dangers of battery fires in waste and recycling streams, reinforcing the need for safe disposal and consumer education initiatives.  
• Expanded scope to embedded batteries: The regulation extends to batteries found in vapes, power tools, and e-bikes, requiring new collection and recycling solutions.  
• Enabling existing stewardship schemes: to access much needed funding to cover the cost of collection and recycling of an ever-increasing number of batteries. 

B-cycle’s Role in the New Regulatory Framework  

As Australia’s leading battery stewardship scheme, B-cycle says they are well-positioned to participate in the new framework and help businesses navigate compliance. The organisation says they will work closely with the NSW Government to:  

• Support industry compliance: By joining the B-cycle scheme, battery brand owners will gain access the knowledge and systems they need to comply with the new stewardship obligations.  
• Expand collection networks: To meet increased demand, B-cycle will strengthen its collection infrastructure, including solutions for embedded batteries.  
• Enhance consumer education: The scheme will align public messaging with government fire risk reduction campaigns to promote safe battery disposal.  
• Advocate for national consistency: B-cycle will collaborate with other state and territory governments and the Commonwealth to ensure a harmonised approach to battery stewardship across Australia.  

This legislation marks a turning point for battery stewardship in Australia,” said Libby Chaplin, CEO at B-cycle. 

“We at the BSC have long advocated for a mandatory approach to ensure all businesses contribute to responsible battery disposal. The NSW Government’s leadership in this space will drive higher recovery rates, greater safety, and a more sustainable battery lifecycle. In practice this means BSC will have much needed funds to pay for the collection and recycling of batteries disposed received at our comprehensive network of drop off points”.  

This work is a progression from the Environment Ministers meeting, held in December. 

B-cycle says NSW has taken decisive action and prepared an Act specifically designed so that it can readily be adopted by other jurisdictions. 

“This important legislation is paving the way for a nationwide, government-backed approach to battery recycling. 

“As B-cycle prepares for this transition, it remains committed to its mission: making it easy for Australians to recycle their batteries safely and responsibly.”