Battery Environmental Scan Report
Background
WasteMINZ has been advocating for more information and regulations for household battery disposal (such as AAs and AAAs, as well as batteries in toys, vapes and small electronics) for a number of years.
The issues around battery recycling are significant both within New Zealand and worldwide. There are multiple stakeholders, from manufacturers through to end-of-life management, and there are multiple issues and different priorities at each stage, for which solutions need to be identified and implemented.
While the issues surrounding batteries and how they should be handled have been widely discussed, the implementation of a battery stewardship programme, stewardship is only one part of the solution that needs to be considered.
About the project
To ensure we have a full picture of the challenges and issues facing the battery sector as a whole, WasteMINZ will be undertaking an environmental scan to provide a holistic overview of the full scale of the situation within Aotearoa New Zealand.
This environmental scan will aim to provide a complete overview of the battery situation in Aotearoa New Zealand - from the point of manufacturing to end of life and disposal. In doing so, it will capture the challenges and issues the sector faces and, where possible, outline possible solutions or recommendations.
The issues around battery recycling and disposal are significant and have been widely discussed both within New Zealand and worldwide. It is a complex issue that involves multiple stakeholders and challenges throughout the life-cycle of a small battery. These all require solutions to be identified and implemented.
The report will be limited to small batteries, including button batteries through to rechargeable battery packs for tools, and items with encased batteries (under 5kg) and e-scooters. Batteries covered by the large battery product stewardship scheme will be out of scope.
This project is being supported by funding gratefully received from the Ministry for the Environment.
Project approach
The project will comprise the following pieces of work:
- Stakeholder workshops – individual workshops with the different stakeholder groups giving each group an opportunity to discuss key priorities, challenges and possible solutions. This will allow each stakeholder group to be consulted and provided with the chance to raise the issues most important to them.
- Fire statistics – surveys to compile statistics on battery (or battery related) fires in New Zealand
- Consolidation of other research or supporting information – consolidation and review of other sources of data or information, what is happening overseas regarding their product stewardship models, and case studies of battery related initiatives within NZ.
- Environmental scan report – development of a battery sector environmental scan report consolidating the information obtained in the above stages.
Project timeline
- August 2025: consultant confirmed – WasteMINZ have completed an RFP process and selected Eunomia to work with us on this project.
- September 2025: stakeholder workshops – A programme of stakeholder workshops will be scheduled with all stakeholder groups in the battery sector. These will be posted on the WasteMINZ website and each webinar will be open for anyone from that stakeholder group to attend
- September 2025: Surveys, research and consolidation is undertaken
- November 2025: peer review and report finalised
- December 2025: final report published.
Batteries in the news
New Zealand
- Why batteries keep causing fires – and how the problem can be fixed
- Auckland Council urging correct disposal of lithium-ion batteries after Glenfield fire | RNZ News
- EV Battery Fires Expose New Zealand Regulatory Gap | Scoop News
- Fires linked to lithium batteries have doubled. Why the delay in dealing with them? | RNZ News
Australia
WasteMINZ exists to make a positive environmental impact on Aotearoa New Zealand
