Battery Recycling - Planet Ark Recycling Near You

Batteries should never be placed in your recycling or waste bin. Rechargeable batteries and lithium-ion batteries are hazardous and can produce sparks that may ignite a fire in trucks or recycling facilities. This includes batteries found in laptops, mobile phones, power tools, and cameras. To prevent fires, it is advisable to cover battery terminals with sticky tape (more information is provided below).

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Batteries

Australia's national product stewardship scheme for battery recycling is called B-cycle. This program has partnered with approximately 100 organizations across Australia to provide recycling drop-off points accessible to the public. Visit B-cycle to find a full list of recycling drop-off locations.

Aldi supermarkets provide a free battery recycling service at all their Australian stores. They accept any brand of AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V batteries, both rechargeable and non-rechargeable. Simply drop your used batteries into the designated bins in-store. For alternatives and options for different battery types (e.g., button batteries and 12-volt batteries), see below.

Battery World has a recycling program with collection points at most of its stores (note that some locations in WA do not accept batteries for recycling). Check with your local store regarding the types of batteries they accept.

Bunnings has implemented a recycling program for various batteries, including those used in power tools. The recycling unit is located at the front of each store, where handheld batteries, including AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, 6V, and button batteries, are accepted.

Coles is rolling out battery recycling units across their stores in the upcoming months. Check with your local store to determine if they have a recycling unit. They accept various types of household batteries, including AA, AAA, C, D, 6V, 9V, button batteries, rechargeable batteries, and batteries that can be easily removed from electronic products like cameras and power tools.

Woolworths supermarkets also have battery and mobile collection points within their stores.

Officeworks is no longer accepting batteries at in-store recycling units, although some locations may still accept mobile phones and laptops.

How to Tape Batteries to Prevent Fires

Even depleted batteries retain some residual charge, making it crucial to cover the battery terminals with sticky tape before recycling. The battery terminals are the points of electrical connection, located at different ends depending on the battery type.

How to Recycle Batteries at Work

Workplaces and businesses can register for a safe and secure recycling collection box through Batteries 4 Planet Ark. The program includes a pick-up service once the box is full.

Your workplace can also check Business Recycling for additional recycling options, including drop-off and pick-up services.

Why Should I Recycle My Batteries?

There is a wide range of battery types, many of which contain toxic metals such as cadmium, mercury, and lead. Others contain valuable materials like magnesium and zinc.

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Recycling batteries prevents toxic materials from entering landfills where they might contaminate the soil and groundwater. It also ensures that valuable materials in batteries are recycled into new products, thereby reducing the demand for finite natural resources used in the production of new batteries.

What Happens to Batteries When I Recycle Them?

Recycled batteries are processed to recover plastics and metals, some of which are utilized in manufacturing new batteries.

Envirostream, Australia's first onshore processor for lithium, nickel metal, and alkaline batteries, is capable of recovering 95% of the materials in the batteries for recycling. Recovered steel, copper, and aluminum are redirected to the manufacturing industry for recycling, while the active components of lithium-ion batteries (including graphite, cobalt, nickel, and lithium) are transformed into a valuable product called mixed metal dust, which is used to manufacture new lithium-ion batteries.

Different Kinds of Batteries

Single-use batteries are typically alkaline batteries containing zinc, manganese, or lithium chemistry. Rechargeable batteries commonly feature nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, or lithium-ion compositions. They are available in similar shapes and voltages as single-use batteries and are also tailored for devices like laptops, mobile phones, and other electronic equipment.

Opting for rechargeable batteries is an excellent way to reduce battery waste. Each battery can be recharged multiple times, saving you money and curtailing pollution from discarded batteries. Numerous retailers offer battery rechargers, which conveniently recharge batteries in less than 15 minutes.

Other Battery Recycling Programs

Mobile batteries are accepted by MobileMuster, with thousands of recycling locations available nationwide. Find recycling options for mobile phones.

Computer batteries can be recycled at some Officeworks locations. They can also be processed through an accredited recycler within the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme. Find recycling options for computers.

Car batteries can be recycled at various garages, transfer stations, and waste management centers. Find recycling options for car batteries.

More Information

To learn more about Australia’s product stewardship scheme for batteries, including details on how to tape and safely store batteries, visit B-cycle.