Two hands cupping a pile of batteries. banner image

Batteries and recycling

Used household batteries are a common waste item in Eurobodalla and can be recycled almost completely. Never put batteries in your kerbside bins because they can cause fires in garbage trucks, recycling centres, and landfill. Batteries in landfill can leak harmful chemicals like lead, mercury, and cadmium into the soil and water, harming people, animals, and plants.

Eurobodalla Council works with B-cycle to help you recycle your household batteries safely.

Why recycling household batteries matters

Recycling batteries:

  • stops harmful chemicals from polluting soil and water
  • saves valuable metals like lithium, lead, mercury, and zinc used to make new batteries and other items
  • reduces fire risks in rubbish trucks and landfills, especially from lithium batteries
  • protects people, pets, and wildlife from toxic substances.

Batteries you can recycle

You can recycle as part of the recycling scheme:

  • standard household batteries like AA, AAA, and C
  • button batteries from devices like watches and hearing aids
  • rechargeable batteries (up to 5kg) removable from items
  • batteries easily removed from products like power tools and cameras.

Batteries you can't recycle

You can't recycle these items as part of the scheme, but you can recycle them at all three Council waste facilities:

  • mobile phone batteries - your old mobile phones go in the Mobile Muster collection container
  • laptop and tv batteries (e-waste)
  • lead acid batteries (car and truck batteries)
  • exit lighting batteries - these go in the fluorescent lighting collection container.

Batteries you can't recycle at all in Eurobodalla

You can't recycle embedded batteries in Eurobodalla (items with in-built batteries you can't remove). Items with these batteries include:

  • some flashing/light-up toys and clothing
  • e-cigarettes, ie, vapes
  • bluetooth speakers
  • electric toothbrushes
  • shavers
  • smart watches
  • robotic vacuums.

Find your nearest household battery drop-off point

Standard batteries+

Large batteries+

Large (5 to 20kg) removable household batteries in items like e-scooters, e-bikes, vacuum cleaners, and power tools:

How to recycle your batteries safely

  1. Cover battery ends with clear tape to prevent sparks.
  2. Store batteries in a ventilated glass container.
  3. Avoid metal containers or objects near batteries.
  4. Keep batteries in a cool, dry place away from heat.
  5. Keep small batteries away from children - they can choke.
  6. Take batteries to a drop-off point listed on this page.

How batteries are recycled

When you take old batteries to a B-cycle drop-off, a special recycler collects and recycles them. This helps protect health and the environment.

Sorting and breaking apart+

Batteries are first sorted by type, like lithium-ion or nickel-cadmium. Some, like lithium-ion, have their power safely removed. The batteries are then crushed into small pieces to separate metals, plastic, and other parts.

Heating to recover materials+

The crushed pieces are heated in a very hot furnace. This burns off liquid and other materials while cleaning harmful gases. Heavy metals sink, and lighter materials form a layer called 'slag'. The slag can be reused (ie, in construction) or safely thrown away.

Use liquids to get more metals+

Next, water-based chemicals pull out more valuable metals like lithium and aluminium from the leftover pieces. These metals are changed into solid powders or crystals to make new products, including batteries.

Resources

Contact us

For questions about battery recycling, contact Council's waste services: