Never bin a battery!

Batteries and devices can cause fires when placed in household recycling or general waste bins. This puts drivers’ lives, trucks, recycling facilities and workers at risk.

If it buzzed, hummed, flashed or charged, it’s got a battery! There are many places to take things like loose batteries, laptops, mobiles, watches, shavers, drones, electronic toothbrushes and even cordless tools.

Many people collect loose batteries and drop them off when visiting local supermarkets, office supply shops, local libraries and more.  

There are many convenient battery drop-off locations for everyone. Use the following B-cycle link to find your nearest drop-off point: Find a B-cycle Drop off point - B-cycle

The City of Kalamunda also have recycling hubs available at various locations to drop off batteries, mobile phones, printer cartridges etc.

Visit our fact sheets page for more information on battery disposal and visit Waste Sorted's article sharing how waste workers feel when a battery fire starts.

The image below is an example of when a vacuum has caught fire in a wheelie bin and caused a truck fire.

Benefits of recycling used household batteries

1. Batteries can be disposed of safely and many of the components can be recycled and used for new products.
2. Recycling lead from car batteries, uses less energy than refining primary ore and removes lead from the environment.
3. Fewer raw materials need to be extracted and processed to make new products.
4. Precious metals found in single-use batteries such as silver, iron and mercury can be recovered.
5. The nickel from batteries can be recycled and used to produce stainless steel.
6. Car batteries can be recycled into a range of products such as plant pots, laundry detergents, glass, fertilisers and new batteries.

You can also try to reduce your battery waste. Here are some easy ways to try and reduce battery waste:

• Rechargeable batteries can be used hundreds of times before wearing out. Even though they cost more upfront, they save money (and waste) in the long run.
• Whenever possible, pick appliances and gadgets that plug into the wall or recharge via USB instead of relying on disposables.
• Don’t mix old and new batteries in a device - it drains the fresh ones faster.
• Remove batteries from devices you don’t use often to prevent leakage.
• Store them in a cool, dry place to extend their life.
• Cheap batteries tend to run out faster. Investing in higher-quality brands means fewer replacements and less waste.