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Handling and disposal of household batteries

Published on 28 October 2020

Did you know that batteries can’t be disposed of in your kerbside collection? This is because they can cause fires in trucks and recycling centres, creating a safety risk and damaging the recycling load which results in it being sent to landfill.

All types of batteries, including household batteries, batteries in toys and appliances, and car batteries, must be kept out of waste and recycling bins.

Not only are batteries a risk if they are punctured or come into contact with other metal, but lithium-ion batteries used in laptops, mobile phones, power drills and toys can overheat on their own and start a fire.

Using rechargeable batteries is a great alternative to reduce the amount of batteries going into landfill, as they can be used repeatedly.

However, no matter what type of battery you use, it is important to dispose of them correctly and safely at the end of their life.

To correctly dispose of batteries and products containing batteries, please drop them off at a waste transfer station, or at your local Aldi store. Aldi accepts household batteries such as AAA, AA, C, D and 9V of any chemistry type (Alkaline, Super Heavy Duty, Lithium Ion or Rechargeable).

Please be mindful that used batteries are potentially hazardous. If you are storing used batteries at home, remember to:

keep batteries in a cool, dry place at room temperature and away from sunlight, heat and water to prevent leakage of toxic materials
keep batteries out of reach of children – button cells and small batteries can be swallowed, causing choking and chemical burns
be cautious when changing batteries and check for damages or leaks – some materials inside batteries are toxic and could result in poisoning
place batteries in individual plastic bags or sleeves to reduce fire risk or tape over the terminals of any lithium-based batteries, such as button cells, phone, camera and laptop batteries, or batteries with both terminals on one side (for example 9V batteries)

When visiting a local waste transfer station, please remember to contact them first to find out their opening hours, and always adhere to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing measures.

For a list of waste transfer stations and drop-off points, please visit Council’s website.

For more information about recycling batteries, please visit Planet Ark’s website.