How do I dispose of or recycle old batteries in Australia?

Industrial lead-acid is recycled through the established commercial scrap-lead route, which has been economically self-sustaining for decades because of the scrap value of lead. Practically, a supplier or a licensed recycler collects the old batteries and provides documentation. Valen Power is certified to ISO 14001:2015 for environmental management, covering the provision of industrial batteries, energy storage and training services.

Note what is not covered by the schemes people assume cover everything. B-cycle, Australia’s government-backed battery stewardship scheme, and the new NSW mandatory scheme under the Product Lifecycle Responsibility Regulation 2026, which commences 1 October 2026 and under which significant penalties apply, are both scoped to portable batteries: household sizes, button cells, removable rechargeable batteries under 5 kg, e-micromobility and power banks. Industrial stationary lead-acid is expressly outside both.

Industrial lithium is the genuine gap. There is no mandatory scheme covering a large lithium bank at end of life, and the dangerous goods requirements for damaged or end-of-life lithium make informal disposal legally hazardous rather than merely untidy.

What to ask any supplier, and what a well-run programme should provide:

1. Documented take-back with a chain-of-custody record, not a verbal assurance that “we’ll take them away”.
2. Correct classification, packaging and marking for lithium removals, especially where units are damaged or failed.
3. A disposal certificate you can put in an environmental compliance file.