Client: The Association for the Battery Recycling Industry
Title: Battery recycling industry profile and economic contribution analysis
Client’s challenge:
The Association for the Battery Recycling Industry (ABRI) is the peak body representing members across the battery value chain for the safe and sustainable recycling of batteries. Its core mission is to empower a circular value chain for batteries to accelerate Australia’s path to sustainable decarbonisation.
Australia has a strong precedent for circular economy practices, already recycling 93% of end-of-life lead-acid batteries. The next frontier is the lithium battery sector, projected to grow rapidly with the rise of electric vehicles and energy storage, potentially recovering A$67 billion in materials by 2050. ABRI sought to profile the industry and quantify its economic contribution to support policy advocacy, investment decisions, and strategic planning.
Our solution:
Positive Economics Advisory supported ABRI to develop a comprehensive sector profile for the battery materials recovery industry. To ensure the analysis reflected the full breadth of the sector, we engaged with a wide range of stakeholders, including industry players covering battery sales, collection and metal smelting. We developed and issued a survey to the industry to summarise operational data, investment trends, and employment metrics. This primary dataset was extrapolated to develop an estimate of the total gross value added and employment for the whole industry. We also estimated the indirect economic contribution of the sector’s value chain using Input-Output modelling techniques. This allowed us to estimate the industry's total economic contribution to jobs, GDP, and investment at the national level. We integrated this analysis into a succinct, data-driven report highlighting the industry’s critical role in achieving some of Australia’s most strategic national priorities and the role policy reforms could play in enabling the economic potential of the sector.