Never Bin a Battery

Did you know that approximately 80% of household batteries used across Australia are considered single-use? Despite their recyclable nature, an alarming 97% of these batteries (8,000 tonnes) find their way into landfills each year, being incorrectly disposed of in kerbside bins.

Disposing of used batteries in your regular kerbside bins can cause many environmental and safety concerns that you may not be aware of.

Recycling batteries instead of throwing them in the bin is crucial for both environmental and safety reasons. Batteries contain hazardous materials like lead and mercury, which can contaminate soil and water if left in landfills. They are also a fire risk due to their combustible and corrosive components, posing threats to waste management facilities and workers. Additionally, batteries are rich in valuable metals that can be reclaimed through recycling, thereby conserving natural resources.

Batteries are often hidden in many common household items. Be sure to remove the batteries from these items before recycling or disposing of them correctly.

Some common items that have batteries include:

• Mobile phones and tablets
• Watches and clocks - including smartwatches
• Toys
• Vapes and e-cigarettes
• Power tools
• Remote control
• Digital cameras
• Electric toothbrushes
• eScooters

Council is calling on all residents in the Cairns region to never bin a battery and consider delivering them to recycling drop-off locations instead following an increase in fires in kerbside bins and waste collection trucks  caused by batteries.

Where can I take my used batteries?

Cairns Regional Council

Council provides free drop-off points for domestic quantities (less than 5kg) of hand-held, household batteries at:

• Council's Customer Service Centre, 119-145 Spence St
• All Cairns Libraries Branches
• Waste and recycling transfer stations: Portsmith, Smithfield, Gordonvale and Babinda. View further information about Council Waste Transfer Stations.

Accepted batteries:

• AA, AAA, C, D and all other common household battery types
• Removable battery packs from power tools, mobile phones and laptops

Lead acid batteries (e.g. car batteries) can only be recycled free of charge at Council transfer stations.

Other drop-off points in the Cairns region:

There are also a number of commercial businesses that accept batteries.

FIND YOUR NEAREST DROP-OFF POINT

What to do with electronic waste (E-waste) items

Electrical goods and household appliances can be dropped off at Council Transfer Stations (fees may apply). Ask our team at the Transfer Stations if you are not sure which location to put these items in. These materials may also be recovered for resale where possible. View

View Council's accepted items page for further information.

Download the full list of acceptable items at transfer stations and associated costs ( PDF, 0.02 MB ).

Further information about battery types:

Lead acid batteries: Lead-acid batteries, commonly used to power vehicles and watercraft, consist of materials like lead, lead compounds, and sulfuric acid. These components are classified as hazardous waste according to the Hazardous Waste Act of 1989. If improperly disposed of in landfills, they pose imminent threats to both human health and the environment. Remarkably, up to 98% of lead acid batteries can be successfully reclaimed and repurposed into new items, thus making them valuable electronic waste suitable for recycling.

Single-use batteries - disposable batteries: Disposable batteries, which are frequently employed to power household devices such as toys, clocks, smoke alarms, and remote controls, contain various elements including carbon zinc, manganese, lithium, and mercury. Their vulnerability to moisture can lead to erosion and subsequent fire hazards, as well as the potential for mercury contamination when placed in landfills. Opting for recycling, however, allows for the retrieval of materials like mercury, zinc, and silver, which can subsequently be utilized in the production of new goods.

Rechargeable batteries: Rechargeable batteries, commonly found in mobile phones, shavers, cameras, and other electronics, also present a concern. These batteries include metals such as cadmium, which, if disposed of in landfills, could lead to soil and environmental contamination.