ACCC reauthorises BSC for five years

The Battery Stewardship Council (BSC) has welcomed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) decision to reauthorise the national Battery Stewardship Scheme, B-cycle, for a further five years, as Australia moves towards regulated battery product stewardship.

The authorisation confirms BSC’s continued authority to coordinate and expand the scheme, as the market transitions from voluntary participation to a regulated national framework.

BSC CEO Libby Chaplin said the decision recognises the maturity and integrity of the scheme and underscores the critical importance for regulation.

“This reauthorisation is an important vote of confidence in B-cycle and the leadership shown by industry in building a circular battery economy,” Chaplin said. “Voluntary stewardship has taken us a long way, but to meet the scale of the challenge ahead, government regulation and mandatory stewardship is essential. We need participation at every stage of the battery lifecycle to ensure batteries are collected and recycled safely. This decision gives BSC the platform to help make that happen.

“The ACCC’s determination makes clear [that] voluntary stewardship and future regulation can work together to achieve better outcomes. It recognises the collaboration, investment and innovation that our members, recyclers and retailers have already delivered.

“BSC is built on a community of over 700 accredited organisations whose dedication and support have made this scheme possible and played a vital role in achieving this reauthorisation.”

The ACCC’s final determination introduces refinements that further strengthen scheme governance and transparency, including a requirement for a public consultation protocol by February 2026, updates to the independent review process, and clarification of annual reporting conditions.

The authorisation enables the BSC and its members to continue collective funding and administration of the scheme, ensuring all participating producers, importers and retailers contribute fairly to the cost of safe battery collection, sorting and recycling.

Since its launch, B-cycle has established more than 5700 accredited collection sites, with 95% of Australians living within 15 minutes’ travel time to a drop-off point.

“Australia now has the foundation to scale battery recovery nationally. Through regulation, we can build on that to ensure batteries are managed safely and their valuable materials are kept in circulation,” Chaplin said.

The BSC will implement the conditions set out in the ACCC’s determination, including publishing its consultation protocol and continuing to work closely with government and industry on the next phase of regulation.

Image caption: Batteries being processed for recycling by B-cycle. Image: Supplied