Powering Australia and the Association for the Battery Recycling funding new national guide

Powering Australia together with the Association for the Battery Recycling (ABRI) is funding the development of a new national guide to strengthen safety and consistency in the packaging and transport of used lithium‑ion batteries in support of Australia’s growing battery recycling sector.

The Used Lithium‑ion Battery Packaging and Transport Guide, developed by Powering Australia, ABRI and Standards Australia will provide nationally consistent guidance to support safe and reliable handling of used batteries. The guide is designed to help commercial operators, collectors and recyclers manage increasing battery volumes with clear, practical advice to improve safety across the value chain.

The guide will:

• Provide practical, easy‑to‑follow guidance on packaging and transporting used lithium‑ion batteries
• Support safer handling across the battery value chain
• Reduce the risk of fires and other incidents during storage and transport
• Support Australia’s growing circular economy by improving battery collection activities

“Powering Australia is pleased to be working with ABRI and Standards Australia to move Australia’s battery industry forward,” said Shannon O’Rourke, CEO of Powering Australia.

The guide is being developed with input from an expert advisory group of industry and government representatives, and is funded through the Building Future Battery Capabilities program delivered by Powering Australia and the Australian Government.

Expected to be released by mid‑2026, the guide complements national work by the Victorian Environment Protection Authority (EPA) to establish best practice approaches for managing fire risk and recycling of end‑of‑life batteries.