Competition seeks market-ready solutions to battery fires in waste and recycling

The Waste and Recycling Industry of Queensland (WRIQ) has launched Challenge Waste, the Lithium Ion Battery Challenge, to find breakthrough solutions that can make an immediate impact in reducing battery fires within Queensland's waste streams.

Lithium batteries are among the recycling industry's most pressing priorities. Last year, there were more than 12,000 fires caused by improperly disposed lithium batteries across Australia. This equates to more than 30 per day. Of these fires, 7 percent resulted in injuries with the average cost to business $417,000.

The Lithium Ion Battery Challenge 

The competition will be judged by a panel of waste and recycling industry experts and government leaders. They will evaluate applications and shortlist candidates for funding based on market fit, product readiness, commercial business case, and potential impact.

WRIQ's project to deliver industry engagement on the management of end-of-life batteries is proudly funded through the Queensland Government's Recycling and Jobs Fund.

There is an opportunity for applicants to receive mentorship and support from industry leaders to implement their innovation commercially across Queensland's waste management facilities.

The 6 categories open for the challenge: 

• Early detection - creating new ways to spot batteries before they enter the waste stream and cause potential hazards
• Workplace safety - developing solutions to safeguard our workforce and valuable equipment from battery fires
• Sustainable recovery - designing systems for efficient battery recycling that make economic and environmental sense
• Smart extraction - innovating methods for safely handling and removing batteries embedded in devices
• Incident response - creating better ways to prevent and rapidly respond to battery-related fires
• Future-ready design - proposing improvements to battery design that reduce risks in waste handling

"Actual bin fires have doubled over the past five years. The batteries that power our lives are putting the lives of our waste industry workers at risk," said Minister for the Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and Innovation, The Hon Andrew Powell MP.

"Challenge Waste is designed to celebrate ingenuity, particularly innovations that are hidden from view right across our economy," said WRIQ CEO, Alison Price.

"If you have a great innovation that delivers a demonstrable impact to solving this issue, this is your opportunity to showcase your ideas and make a real impact. Your innovation could transform how our industry handles lithium batteries, making waste recycling safer and more sustainable," concluded Price.