Georges River Council is reminding residents to be aware of the severe safety risks involved with incorrect disposal of batteries and battery chargers.
Due to increased incidents of fires started in waste collection vehicles and at waste disposal facilities, we would like to remind residents and local businesses of the correct use and disposal guidelines for batteries.
Council's waste collection contractor has experienced four battery-related truck fires in the past 18 months, and Fire and Rescue NSW has recorded 63 battery related fires in NSW in the first ten weeks of 2024. This is equivalent to a rate of 5.7 blazes each week.
Georges River Council General Manager, David Tuxford, said, "We are urging residents to be aware and follow the safety guidelines when using and disposing of batteries to eliminate dangerous risks as our community's safety is of high priority."
| Battery type |
Use |
Disposal |
| Lithium embedded batteries (phone, laptop etc) |
Rechargeable and store in cool dry places. Do not use if showing signs of overheating, swelling or leaking. |
Recycle at Council's E-Waste drop off events, with the battery ends taped. Do not put in household bins as they can explode in waste collection vehicles when compacted. |
| Lithium non-embedded or removable (power tools, vacuum cleaners etc) |
Rechargeable and store in cool dry places. Do not use if showing signs of overheating, swelling or leaking. |
Recycle at Council's Chemical CleanOut drop off events, with the ends of the batteries taped. Do not put in household bins as they can explode in waste collection vehicles when compacted. |
| E-scooter lithium batteries |
Recharge according to instruction manual with high supervision. |
Recycle the batteries at Council's Chemical CleanOut drop off events, with the ends of the batteries taped. Do not put in household bins as they can explode in waste collection vehicles when compacted. |
| AA, AAA, C and 9 volt batteries |
Not rechargeable but store in cool dry places. Do not use if showing signs of overheating, swelling or leaking. |
Recycle at Council's Chemical CleanOut drop off events and at drop-offs available at supermarkets and hardware stores. When recycling, tape the ends of the batteries. Find more information at Council's A-Z Recycling Guide, on Council's website. |
| Batteries over 5 kg (car batteries etc) |
Not rechargeable but store in cool dry places. Do not use if showing signs of overheating, swelling or leaking. |
Recycle at Council's Chemical CleanOut drop off events. When disposing, tape the ends of the batteries. Find more information at Council's A-Z Recycling Guide, on Council's website. |
Council encourages residents to refer to the A-Z Guide to Recycling on our Waste pages.
