Broadmeadows electorate
Kathleen MATTHEWS-WARD (Broadmeadows) (14:53): (1297) My question is for the Minister for Environment. How is the Victorian government supporting e-recycling, sustainability and the circular economy in the Broadmeadows electorate? Embedded batteries are a growing problem contaminating landfill and causing fires. They are found in everyday items like electric toothbrushes, toys, power tools and, sadly, vapes. A lot of people do not know which bins to put them in. It is actually illegal to put them in the normal landfill rubbish bin. They should be recycled. Last week I was really proud to attend the launch of the new Ecocycle and Ecobatt battery-in-device shredding facility in Campbellfield along with Minister Dimopoulos. It was a proud moment to see this world-first technology right here in Broadmeadows – a milestone for Victoria, Australia and indeed the world, and proudly supported by a $2 million grant from the Labor state government. The machine breaks down the items, separates the batteries and recovers up to 95 per cent of valuable materials like lithium, cobalt and plastics, which can then be reused.