Free battery drop-off in Adelaide metro this weekend as authorities aim to reduce fire risk

Households can safely dispose of old batteries by visiting one of four drop off centres in the Adelaide metro this weekend without charge.

Incorrectly disposed of batteries in kerbside bins have caused more than 10,000 fires in Australia in the past 12 months, creating hazards for truck drivers, material recovery facilities and householders.

Embedded batteries, especially lithium-ion ones, should not be placed in household bins under any circumstances given the high fire risk when they are compacted in collection trucks and at waste facilities.

South Australians can continue to safely dispose of their batteries year-round at accredited B-cycle locations across the state. This includes AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, 6V, button cell, detachable appliance and power tool batteries.

The waste and recycling industry has been calling for more support to address the fire risk including for more options for recycling and disposal of embedded batteries and to raise awareness of risks of placing batteries in kerbside bins.

Accepted embedded battery items include:

• 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 (eg. shavers)
• powerpacks and portable charging devices
• remote controlled and ride-on toys
• vacuum cleaners (cordless hand-held and robotic)
• wearable devices such as smart watches, trackers and medical aids
• vapes.

If batteries can easily be removed from a device, people are urged to only bring the loose batteries. Once a battery is dead, people are encouraged to tape both terminals and store in a safe location, out of reach of children, before dropping them off at the nearest battery recycling collection point which includes supermarkets.

This weekend’s drop-off is a Green Industries SA initiative in partnership with Adelaide Hills Regional Waste Management Authority, Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority, City of Campbelltown, and City of West Torrens.

For more details on accepted and not accepted items and alternative recycling options visit www.greenindustries.sa.gov.au/batteries

The sites will be open from 9am to 3pm Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 November at:

• Adelaide Waste and Recycling Centre
  181 Morphett Road, North Plympton
• Campbelltown Works Depot
  6 Newton Road, Campbelltown
• NAWMA Resource Recovery Centre
  Gate 3, Bellchambers Road, Edinburgh North
• Heathfield Resource Recovery Centre
  32 Scott Creek Road, Heathfield

Quotes

Attributable to Susan Close

While there is a national response being developed for safer battery recovery, we want to help South Australians reduce the risk of battery fires through this major weekend drop-off event.

The good news is that many batteries are quickly and easily recyclable through existing drop-off locations that are close and convenient for South Australians.

Simple ‘AA’ batteries or detachable power tool batteries are recyclable through the national B-Cycle battery recycling scheme.

This weekend’s event will focus on the trickier embedded batteries which are now found in more and more consumer products.

Attributable to Dan Cregan

As we enter the bushfire season, it’s important all of us commit to keeping all batteries out of all our bins.

We know we need to act to reduce the fire risk of improperly disposing of batteries in kerbside bins and this trial event will help us gauge just how many embedded batteries are out there, and how eager South Australians are to recycle them.

Just last week a lithium-ion battery exploded in a recycling truck in the Adelaide Hills, causing more than $150,000 damage and triggering an emergency response from the Country Fire Service.