Think before you throw: Batteries don't belong in household bins
Whyalla City Council is encouraging residents to think twice before throwing away old household items, reminding the community that many everyday products contain batteries that shouldn’t be placed in regular bins.
Many everyday items like remote controls and toys contain batteries, which can create a major fire risk if they end up in kerbside bins, as they can be damaged during collection and processing. Even batteries that appear flat can retain enough charge to spark when crushed or punctured.
Lithium-ion batteries (the type found in mobile phones) in particular have become one of the fastest-growing causes of fires at waste and recycling facilities across Australia.
Council’s Waste Officer Charuka Sanduni said many residents are unaware that everyday household batteries need to be recycled separately from other waste.
"Taking a moment to check whether an item contains batteries that can be removed before disposing of it can help prevent fires and ensure valuable materials are recovered through recycling,” Ms Sanduni said.
Residents are encouraged to safely store used batteries away from household waste, tape the terminals of lithium batteries where possible (to prevent sparks), and take them to a designated recycling location.
Removed batteries can be recycled for free at any of these locations:
* Whyalla City Council Civic Building, 21 Grundel Street
* Whyalla Public Library, 19 Ekblom Street
* Participating supermarkets including ALDI, Coles and Foodland
* Veolia Waste and Resources Transfer Station, 41 Industry Drive
Mobile phones (including their batteries and chargers) can also be recycled at our Civic Building and Australia Post locations.
There are also multiple free options to recycle items that don’t belong in any of the bins (i.e. batteries, e-waste, engine oil, white goods etc) – check out whycc.au/freewaste.
By recycling batteries correctly, residents can help protect waste workers, reduce fire risks and contribute to a cleaner, safer community; ensuring everyone can Enjoy Whyalla!