Western Australian clean-tech startup Li-ion Energy has been named the national winner in the Promoting Sustainability category at the Telstra’s Best of Business Awards 2025, recognised for its groundbreaking work in tackling one of Australia’s fastest-growing environmental challenges: lithium battery waste.

Co-founded by Sarai Ball and Justin Manton, Li-ion Energy began simply in a garage workshop, and has rapidly grown into a sophisticated engineering operation. The company now designs clean-energy systems, diverts hazardous materials from landfill, working to reshape Australia’s approach to circular energy infrastructure. Li-ion operates as a specialised engineering firm that reconditions, dismantles and remanufactures lithium battery packs – giving second life to used batteries.

The award judges commended the company for its innovative approach to one of the country’s fastest-growing environmental problems. Amid a wave of electrification and rising demand for battery-powered systems – from e-mobility to energy storage – Li-ion Energy’s work addresses a looming challenge: how to deal safely and sustainably with end-of-life lithium batteries. By providing these lifecycle-management services, Li-ion sets an example as a viable model for recycling and reuse in what is forecast to be a booming battery sector.

Li-ion Energy has processed over 180,000 tons of lithium material, recirculated 28% of cells, and avoided 830 tons of CO? emissions. They also designed Australia’s first transportable lithium-battery recycling unit and rapidly scaled from 17,000 to nearly 300,000 units in just six months.

In doing so, Li-ion Energy isn’t just reducing waste: it is helping shift how Australian industry thinks about energy infrastructure. Through its circular-economy model, Li-ion is sending the signal that sustainability and commercial viability can go hand in hand. As the judges noted, Li-ion Energy’s growth underscores the potential for lean, agile enterprises to reshape entire sectors.

Selected from more than 20,000 nominations nationwide, Li-ion Energy joins the 2025 cohort of national winners celebrated at the Telstra Best of Business Awards Gala in Brisbane.

More information on the awards can be found here.

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