Warning: Do NOT put used batteries in your garbage or recycling bins

Published on 26 July 2024

Two recent fires in waste collection vehicles servicing our local community appear to have been caused by batteries. Please help ensure the safety of our staff and the community by keeping all batteries out of general waste and recycling bins. Batteries contain toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium and mercury and can pose a fire hazard if they get damaged or overheat. Find out more about safe battery disposal.

How can I recycle my used batteries?

Lithium-ion batteries can not be placed into home garbage or recycling bins. Instead, here are some options to safely dispose of batteries.

Larger batteries (including e-bike, e-scooter and car batteries with taped terminals) can be disposed of at our regular Recycle It Saturday events - the next one is on 31 August, 9am-3pm and 23 November, 9am-3pm at City of Sydney depot, 67C Bourke Rd, Alexandria.

Smaller household and mobile phone batteries can be dropped into our battery recycling bins located at Woollahra Libraries in Double Bay and Paddington or at our regular Recycle It Saturday events.

Vapes containing lithium ion batteries should also never be placed in the garbage or recycling bins. These can be disposed of at our Recycle it Saturday events.

All batteries can also be taken to the Randwick Community Recycling Centre for safe disposal. The Randwick Community Recycling Centre is located at 72 Perry Street, Matraville and open between 6am and 2:45pm Monday to Friday and Open FIRST Saturday of the month from 7.30am to 2pm.

The NSW Government offers a battery product stewardship scheme, called B-Cycle. Visit the B-Cycle website to find the closest drop off for smaller batteries.

IMPORTANT: It is recommended that battery terminals (both large and small household batteries) are taped over with clear adhesive tape before placing the battery carefully (without dropping it) into a battery recycling collection bin.