The Western Australian Government has partnered with industry to research alternative uses for the co-products of lithium processing.
The collaborative initiative brings together key stakeholders, including the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA), Main Roads Western Australia, ChemCentre, and leading lithium processors, to shape the future of sustainable infrastructure.
This initiative, along with the development of the Recovered Materials (RM) Framework legislative reforms, are part of the state government’s plan to advance the circular economy through the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030 and the Battery and Critical Minerals Strategy 2024-2030.
It focuses on evaluating the potential use of Delithiated Beta Spodumene (DBS), a co-product of processing lithium ore, as a road-building material.
Environment Minister Reece Whitby says through the initiative, the goal is to promote the use of DBS in line with the Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030, focusing on boosting resource recovery and supporting a circular economy.
“The outcomes of this project will contribute to a more circular economy, reducing reliance on landfill, cutting carbon emissions and minimising environmental impact,” he says.
The research seeks to provide further insight into the material’s performance as an alternative to virgin sand, as well as boosting confidence that the material is environmentally safe for use in future infrastructure projects.
This work builds on an existing demonstration of the material in the Wilman Wadandi Highway (Bunbury Outer Ring Road Project) which was similarly overseen by ChemCentre and MRIWA.
Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael says with demand for critical minerals expected to grow as the global clean energy transition gathers pace, recycling and repurposing waste streams provides great opportunities.
“In a global setting where governments are looking at ways to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions and society is demanding clean products, industry is having to work harder than ever to be at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing and the circular economy,” Michael adds.
Ever rising consumption and excessive waste is driving profound and intensifying disparities in the distribution of wealth, materials, and opportunities around the world.
Despite collective efforts to find ‘circularity’ solutions, the modern economy is underpinned by linear practices that fuel an insatiable appetite to consume and drive exponential growth in pollution and waste generation.
The circular economy, or circularity, refers to practices that optimise resource use and minimise waste across the entire production and consumption cycle, emphasising sustainability and economic efficiency.
Since the Circularity Gap Report 2024 began measuring the total amount of materials consumed worldwide, recognition of the importance of a circular economy has been rising yet the rate of circularity has actually been falling.
The vast majority of extracted materials entering the global economy are virgin – the share of secondary materials has been declining steadily from 9.1% in 2018 to 7.2% just five years later in 2023, according to the Circle Economy Foundation.
Between 2016 and 2021 alone, the global economy consumed 582 billion tonnes of materials – almost as much as the 740 billion consumed in the entire 20th century.
Yet research shows that every year, US$2.6 trillion worth of material in fast-moving consumer goods is either thrown away or discarded and never recovered.
To put that in perspective, in 2023 Australia’s GDP was US$1.72 trillion. The value of what the world wastes or discards each year is worth 51% more than the total monetary or market value of all finished goods and services produced within the country’s borders last year.
Circularity presents an alternative to the linear model. In a circular economy, resources can be used time and again, often for the same or similar purposes.
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