Published on Wednesday, 26 February 2025 at 3:32:39 PM
A third of Aussies don't know what happens when they throw their batteries and battery embedded electronic (e) waste into kerbside bins. Even though items with batteries like mobile phones, smart watches, and laptops seem harmless, they can cause disastrous problems if not disposed of properly.
E-waste and battery waste is the fastest growing waste stream in Australia, growing at three times the rate of any other type of waste. Due to the fire risks associated with improper disposal, it is super important that we all know how to safely dispose of them at the end of their usable life.
In the past 3 months, there have been 2 fires at the Bridgetown Waste Facility landfill which have occurred during waste compaction. Luckily on each occasion the fires were quickly contained and extinguished, and no one was injured, nor machinery damaged. This risk is dramatically increased during the summer when the total fire ban season is upon us.
These fires provide an important local example of how a seemingly small action can have a dangerous consequence, which has the potential to threaten lives, destroy or damage equipment and machinery. One spark is all it takes…
We can all do our bit by separating out battery powered items from the general waste and recycling bins and stockpiling them at home in a box or container. Don’t forget that this includes items that have an embedded battery which are not easily removed – like kids toys, smoke alarms, phone/tablets etc.
The Bridgetown Waste Facility accepts e-waste, vehicle batteries, household and power tool batteries for recycling for no charge. Other drop off locations for household batteries are the Greenbushes CRC and Mitre 10.
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