Batteries are NOT accepted in your recycling bins.
Did you know that disposing of your batteries in your residential bins can be extremely hazardous? Here’s why you should never dispose of batteries this way:
- Environmental Damage: Batteries contain toxic chemicals like lead, mercury and lithium. When they end in landfills, these substances can leach into the soil and water and can seriously harm our ecosystem and wildlife.
- Fire Hazard: Batteries can spark fires if they are damaged or improperly disposed of. This poses great risk to human safety, waste management facilities and even local parks and residential homes.
- Health risks: The exposure to chemicals within batteries can have negative effects on human health. Disposing of your batteries incorrectly, poses serious health risks on waste collection drivers and employees at waste management facilities.
- Waste of Resources: Batteries are made from valuable resources including metals such as lithium, lead and mercury. These metals can be recovered and reused when recycled correctly.
So, what should you do with your batteries?
- B-Cycle is Australia’s official battery recycling scheme. Check out B-cycle’s interactive map for where you can locally drop your batteries off for recycling today!
- Household and car batteries and items with embedded batteries can be dropped off for free at our Community Recycling Centre.
- Household batteries can be dropped off for safe recycling at our Community Recycling Stations, available at selected libraries.
- Most Aldi stores have battery recycling bins for small household batteries – ask at your local store if you need help
- Most battery stores accept used batteries for recycling. Find a location on the Recycling Near You website.
- Check out Wollongong Waste for tips on what to do with your used batteries.
- Visit Safe Battery Recycling – EPA NSW and Shop, Charge, and Recycle Lithium-Ion Batteries Safely – NSW Government for more information on safe disposal and recycling of batteries.
