This is part of a paid promotion by North East Waste
Our growing reliance on battery operated technologies has resulted in an alarming increase in battery-related fires.
This year Fire and Rescue NSW has responded to an average of more than one battery fire per day.
Batteries incorrectly disposed of into kerbside bins are the main cause of fires in waste trucks and waste facilities across the Northern Rivers, endangering workers, damaging equipment and wasting a valuable resource that could otherwise be recovered.
All batteries can pose a safety risk if damaged, faulty or incorrectly charged or disposed of, but re-chargeable Lithium-ion batteries are a particular concern due to their potential to go into hard to control ‘thermal runaway’.
To prevent battery fires occurring – Never bin any battery!
Here’s how to dispose of most loose batteries safely:
- Remove loose batteries from appliance
- Tape terminals with clear sticky tape to prevent short circuiting
- Place in ventilated glass container out of reach of children
- Dispose of them at your nearest available battery drop-off point for free
Batteries can be dropped off at Council’s Community Recycling Centre (CRC), which can be found by visiting here.
There are also numerous other conveniently located drop-off points across the region, including at many large local high street retailers such as supermarkets and hardware stores. To find your nearest one, visit here.
If you need to dispose of items that contain embedded batteries go here to find out where and how.
This project is a NSW Environment Protection Authority Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy initiative, funded from the waste levy