Impossible to get 18650 cells now -almost

Do you want the law changed on delivery of Lithium Ion 18650 Batteries ?


  • Total voters
    11

tytower

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2017
Messages
35
I'm in Cairns far North QLD
Been trying all around to get batteries .
Sent 10 emails out and got 1 reply saying they can't sell me any and can only recycle them themselves . 97% are going into landfill and transport restrictions mean I cant truck them up legally even.

So how can I get some ?
Buying new from overseas is stuffed because Australia Post wont allow them in their post. They are sending them back or just dumping new lipo batteries. They don't get through even if parcelled with a charger or individually wrapped .

Anybody found a way?

From: Envirostream Australia <info@envirostream.com.au>
Thanks for your response,

Dangerous Goods Transport Code prescribe transport for lithium batteries. If you would like advice on the safe handling, packaging and transport, please contact me, but we do not sell batteries.

Currently Australia's recycling rate of batteries is the lowest of any OECD country at less than 3% for over a decade the remaining 97% go to landfill and discarded to the environment, this is the problem our business focuses on.

I wish you all the best in safe reuse.

Regards

John
From Me ,
Load of tommy rot . I'll buy all you have and transport them myself . But only 18650's .Transported all round the world in their Billions .

Crazy stuff to destroy something that has cost heaps to make already and still has a useful afterlife . Crazy! You are Killing the world not helping it


From: Envirostream Australia <info@envirostream.com.au>

Thank you for contacting us.
We are Australia's first and only lithium battery recycler.

We do not resell batteries and we do not recommend this practice for a number of reason including the requirement for dangerous goods transport required under Australian Law for the movement of lithium batteries and the hazards involved in the safe handling and packaging of lithium batteries.

Our batteries are recycled here in Australia to ensure the material is recovered and the hazard removed.

I would encourage ensuring you have the correct Dangerous Goods Code labels and licences in place to ensure safety is maintained.

If you require further information or recycling services here in Australia please don't hesitate to get in contact

Regards

John
John Polhill
National Development Manager

Suite G14, Corporate One, 84 Hotham Street, Preston, VIC 3072
M.+61410 884 482
T. +613 9357 5346
E.john.polhill@envirostream.com.au

www.envirostream.com.au
 
Personally, I think emails are a waste of time. You need to physically visit the store. It's a lot easier for a manager to ignore someone when they don't see them face to face. Or write a quick letter stating they are req'd to handle them themselves.
If you aren't getting hits off of buying them or mailing them, put some posts up on your version of Craigslist (can't remember off top of my head atm) and see how many people respond. I did that and in a few weeks I had about 600lbs of laptop batteries.
 
Skip emails
Visit them. thats the only way you will get cells in my experience. Not 1 have said yes over mail but 6/10 have said yes when visiting... Same company even.
 
I had that same problem in Sydney when I was there. Calling was useless too. Some thing there's sensitive data in batteries for some stupid reason (maybe they should stick to recycling and not security).
Sometimes visiting isn't that easy, you could be 10's of KMs away and to travel from one to another makes it pretty hard.

Have you tried laptop repair shops or even contact companies IT helpdesk who manage their internal laptop like I did and simply ask if they have replaced batteries and if they still have them around.
 
You need to get them before they go to the recyclers. We have the same problem here. They are not allowed to sell or give them. They have to recycle them themselves. What recycling means is destruction of the cell. They don't bother testing them... to dangerous and too much liability.

Definitely visit helps, but I have had some success with phone calls. Explaining to stores and business that if they put it in the recycle bin it gets destroyed. Even if there may be 10yrs of usable life left for many of the cells.
I usually tell them that any cells that truly are not usable got to a proper recycler and the rest will get used and reduce waste of resources doing unnecessary destruction.

So far I have received about 6000 cells that way.
 
Even though shipping regulations get in the way of me selling batteries, from a general safety standpoint, I agree with the laws around transport of dangerous good like batteries. Cargo like this should not make its way into a passenger plane, should be properly marked and identified, and packed/protected in a manner that promotes safety.

So for that reason I marked NO.

Things have changed over the years too. I think much of this supply issue is also related to two things newcomers watching videos of people who have established projects and wanting to jump in now. And newer technology like tablets and laptops using flat packs over cylindrical cells. Its popularity isnt making sourcing cells any easier. I find it much harder now since some recycling companies have caught on and know of the demand. Recyclers used to be eager to just give these away for free I never paid more than $1 per pound.

I once called a company and was told you are like the 4th person today who has called me about batteries In terms of sourcing the cells Its hard work, and without time/effort you probably wont see a large reward. I used to do a lot of leg work before moving on to EV cells. Showing up in person with cash in hand has always worked best for me.

These days more people are in the know, and understand used batteries have more value than originally anticipated. Just looks at companies like Battery Hookup, their entire business model is selling what was once considered trash at such premium prices. I am truly amazed how much e-waste sells for these days. I used to pay about 10 cents for a used 18650, these days many are ok with paying $1 to 1.25 each.
 
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