RMIT University

Australia is accelerating its transition to a low-carbon future with electric vehicles (EVs), solar panels and other renewable energy technologies becoming a part of everyday life. But what happens when these products reach the end of their useful life? RMIT experts discuss the growing need to better manage clean energy waste and support a circular economy.

Dr Akvan Gajanayake, Lecturer, School of Property Construction and Project Management: 

“Millions of EV batteries are quietly counting down to the end of their useful life, and the systems needed to manage them safely, sustainably, and at scale simply do not exist yet.

“By 2035, Australia could have millions of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries with nowhere to go. Unlike conventional waste, these batteries cannot go into landfill.

“They contain valuable and environmentally hazardous materials such as lithium, cobalt and nickel that require specialist processing. Yet Australia lacks the infrastructure, policy frameworks, and cross-sector coordination to handle this waste.

“Technical solutions for how to recycle this waste exist, however for such technical solutions to operationalise, the softer systems need to be in place.

“The households, manufacturers, recyclers, policymakers, and community groups who need to solve this issue are not in the same room, and no single group has the incentive or capacity to act alone.

“Our research is bringing these key players together to envision what a circular, regenerative future for EV batteries in Australia could actually look like, before the crisis hits.”

Dr Gajanayake is a Lecturer at the School of Property, Construction and Project Management and a fellow at the RMIT Regenerative Futures Institute.

He will be presenting the 2035 EV Battery Negotiations on 3 October as part of the Energy Futures events season presented by the RMIT Regenerative Futures Institute. 

Associate Professor Muhammad Abdulrahman, Supply Chain and Logistics Management:

“Australia has one of the highest per-capita uptakes of rooftop solar in the world, driven by Australia’s acceleration towards renewable energy and housing targets.

“However, millions of solar panels, inverters and building products are fast approaching their end-of-life and by 2035, Australia is projected to generate one million tonnes (around 50 million panels) of solar panel waste.

“A major gap is the absence of a nationally coordinated Digital Product Passport (DPP) framework that can track products throughout their life cycle and support effective collection and recycling.

“Australia needs to move beyond focusing on efficiency alone and align with international requirements for mandatory digital tracking of imports to avoid becoming a dumping ground for imported inferior products.

“A nationally coordinated approach to product transparency through DPPs will advance Australia toward a circular and regenerative economy.”

Muhammad Dan-Asabe Abdulrahman is an Associate Professor of Supply Chain and Logistics Management at RMIT University and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) in the UK.

He will be presenting at an industry round table Beyond Efficiency: Advancing a Regenerative Society through Material Transparency on 15 October as part of the Energy Futures events season presented by the RMIT Regenerative Futures Institute. 

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