Batteries are everywhere these days, hidden inside many of the products we use daily, from bluetooth speakers and smart watches to electric toothbrushes and toys. You might not even realize how many are in your home!
However, these embedded batteries can cause big problems when it comes to disposal and recycling due to their complex materials. Lithium-ion batteries, in particular, are dangerous and should never be thrown into your red, yellow, or green bins because they contain harmful chemicals that pose risks to both human health and the environment.
To help manage this issue, the EPA has teamed up with local councils to create a trial program accepting products with embedded batteries, including at the Wollongong Community Recycling Centre.
Products accepted as part of the Embedded Batteries Trial
Items which contain embedded batteries which cannot be easily removed such as:
- Bluetooth speakers and headphones
- Electric toothbrushes
- E-scooters, e-bikes and hover boards
- Flashing/light up toys – particularly wands or other hard plastic products
- Personal care devices (e.g., shavers)
- Powerpacks and portable charging devices
- Remote controlled and ride-on toys
- Vacuum cleaners (cordless hand-held and robotic)
- Vapes
- Wearable devices such as smart watches, trackers and medical aids.
If you have an unusual product, please call Wollongong City Council Customer Service on (02) 4227 7111 to check if it can be accepted.
Many products have removable batteries. If the batteries are easily removable, the batteries will be able to be recycled and your item will need to go to the landfill.
What other e-Waste is accepted at the Wollongong Community Recycling Centre:
- Televisions
- Mobile Phones
- Computer monitors
- Multi-function devices
- Desktop Printers
- Hard Drives
- Floppy Disks
- Joystick & Gamepads
- Compact disk drivers
- Desktop computers
- Laptops
- Mouse & Trackball Units
- Motherboard
- Scanners
- Digital Disk Drives
- Keyboards
- Web Cameras
- Electrical Transformers in CPUs
- Household and Car Batteries
Check out here for further details about what is accepted for recycling at the Community Recycling Centre.
This trial will run from September 2024 until September 2025. To find out more about the Embedded Batteries Trial, check out the EPA website.
