Did you know that 90% of Australia’s used batteries end up in landfill, where they leak toxic materials into the environment?
Another reason batteries shouldn’t go in your regular recycling or household rubbish bin is that they can be a fire hazard if they are crushed or damaged.
B-cycle is Australia’s new federal, state and territory government backed battery recycling scheme.
Where can you drop off batteries?
You can search for your local B-cycle location. Initially most of the locations near me are Woolworths, ALDI, Officeworks, some hardware stores like Bunnings, Total Tools, Sydney Tools as well as NSW EPA run Community Recycling Centres etc. Hopefully Coles locations will join soon.
If battery terminals touch, they can spark and create a fire hazard. To prevent this, tape the terminals of used batteries for storage and drop off. Use non-conductive tape, like duct tape, clear sticky tape or electrical tape.
Different batteries have terminals in different places. Regular batteries like AA have terminals at both ends, while others like 9-volt batteries have two terminals at the same end. Button battery terminals are on the base. Ensure button batteries are taped with clear tape on both sides.
What batteries are B-cyclable?
B-cycle covers all battery chemistries, and on initial launch accepts:
- Household batteries: AA & other sizes, including rechargeable,
- Easily removable proprietary batteries from products like cameras & power tools,
- Button batteries from products like watches, remote controls & car keys
Over time, B-cycle says they will recycle more batteries, including from electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
Unfortunately the scheme doesn’t cover lead acid batteries, as well as laptop and phone batteries.
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