The growing number of electric vehicles, home batteries and other electronics in Australia is creating an ever-increasing stockpile of potentially hazardous waste.
By 2035, it's estimated that Australia will generate 137,000 tonnes of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries annually, with continuing exponential growth.
But these batteries contain precious materials that can be recovered and reused – 'black mass' or mixed-metal powder that can be processed for new batteries, as well as copper and aluminum.
So when Melbourne-based clean energy company Livium found a safer, cleaner and more efficient way to recycle lithium-ion batteries, they recognised this was valuable IP.
A patent for the method was granted in 2025, joining more than 70 others the company holds globally for its battery materials and lithium extraction technologies.
The two-fold benefit of patent protection
Livium started out as Lithium Australia, a company developing technologies to improve yields from lithium mining. Today, it's a recycling-centric operation, with its subsidiary Envirostream processing around 20% of the lithium-ion batteries that are sent for recycling in Australia.
CEO Simon Linge explains that protecting its IP 'has always been part of our DNA,' and is a process now managed by IP attorneys.
Livium announced its latest patent to shareholders and sees the benefit as two-fold. First, the patent confirms the company isn't infringing on another company's IP rights. Second, it differentiates Livium from other recyclers, demonstrating the added investment it has made in developing its operations.
'We talk to investors and stakeholders, and one of the first questions they'll ask is, "well, that's great technology, do you have IP? Tell me where those patents exist,"' Simon says.
'That gives them a sense of surety that you've got the freedom to operate, that you're not going to be challenged by somebody else. And that hey, there is something valuable here.'
A new foothold for Australia in a global chain
A special feature in the 2026 Australian IP Report explores Australia's position in the global value chain for circular battery technologies.
The report, developed with the European Patent Office and published jointly with the International Energy Agency, describes Australia's evolving role from a raw material exporter into a partner for Europe's circular battery sector.
Livium operates in a global value chain, meaning its patents not only protect its IP but can support investment decisions across borders. The sector is influenced by world-leading EU standards for battery recycling, and the buyers of Envirostream's black mass are in Asia. It receives regular inquiries from overseas seeking potential partnership or collaboration.
Simon believes in the potential for Australia to move from 'dig and ship' to technology transfer – not only playing a role in mining critical minerals but developing expertise in recovery from end-of-life batteries.
'It also has the potential to be a really strong economic powerhouse here in Australia,' he says.
Developing safer, cleaner battery recycling
The 'wet shredding' recycling method that Livium has patented has 3 stages, which together recover about 95% of the valuable black mass from lithium-ion batteries.
First, the batteries are shredded in a process that uses water, reducing the risk of fires and suppressing dust. Next, there is a washing and separation stage, where black mass is separated from aluminum, copper and plastic. The final stage removes further plastic from the battery's copper and aluminium materials, so they can be sold locally as scrap metals.
Livium has found its 'wet shredding' method to be more effective in recovering valuable material from end-of-life batteries than operators using dry shredding methods, and the water is re-used in the process enhancing the sustainability aspects of the process. Importantly, it also provides a way of extinguishing small fires that can start when batteries are shredded.
Envirostream's Manager for Engineering, Mark Griffiths, says the incorrect disposal of lithium-ion batteries is risky for the waste industry, which estimates around 10,000 fires are due to batteries every year.
Only 10% of Australia's lithium-ion batteries were sent for recycling in 2021. Mark says consumers need more education on the options for recycling, and the environmental damage when batteries are thrown in the bin.
'If we can increase the recycling rates of batteries within Australia, we have good potential to both eliminate any environmental impact in waste facilities and also reduce the environmental impact of producing the battery materials that are going into new batteries.'
Learn more about Livium.
About this case study
This case study is an example of how an organisation or individual has chosen to manage their intellectual property. It is provided for general information only and should not be relied on as professional advice. Your circumstances and experience may differ.