Don’t bin it, bring it: How to safely dispose of household batteries

Published on 05 May 2023

Council is reminding our community members about the importance of safely disposing of household batteries, as incorrect disposal can pose serious risks to health, safety and our local environment.

Household batteries are commonly found in items such as remote controls, toys, and kitchen appliances, and are made up of materials that can be harmful to the environment and cause serious fires in bins, rubbish trucks and waste facilities if not disposed of correctly.

Snowy Monaro Regional Council is urging residents to "Don't Bin It, Bring It" and drop off their used batteries at their nearest household battery recycling point. These free locations include Community Recycling Centres at Council offices and libraries, as well as all of Council’s landfill facilities.

"Throwing batteries in the bin may seem like an easy option, but it can lead to dangerous situations," said Mandy Thurling, Manager Resource & Waste Services at Snowy Monaro Regional Council. "When batteries are just thrown out they can cause fires, and leech dangerous chemicals when dumped into landfill.”

The recent fire at the Material Recovery Facility in Canberra was caused by incorrectly thrown-out household batteries. This facility is where our region’s recycling is taken for sorting, and now has to be transported to another facility further afield.

By recycling household batteries, we can help protect our environment and ensure that valuable materials are recovered and reused. These materials include zinc, steel, nickel, and cobalt, which are easily extracted and reused in the production of new batteries.

"It's important to note that not all batteries can be recycled," said Thurling. "For example, car and solar batteries are different and need to be disposed of separately. But for household batteries, it's easy to do the right thing and drop them off."

Snowy Monaro Regional Council provides a list of Community Recycling Centres and Stations as drop-off points and waste facilities on our website, and encourages all residents to take advantage of this free service.

Battery recycling containers are also available for free from all Council offices to keep batteries safe and allow for easy transport.

For more information, please visit www.snowymonaro.nsw.gov.au/Environment-Waste-and-Weeds/Waste-and-Recycling/Tricky-Waste-Items