From laptop batteries to car-keys, smart-watches, and toys … batteries are in so many of the items we use daily, you might not even realise it.
Batteries help us to stay afloat in our busy lives, powering our gadgets, toys, and tools. But when improperly disposed of, batteries are a significant safety and environmental risk.
Batteries must not be placed in your kerbside bin as they are a leading cause of fires in waste collection trucks and at waste facilities.
Batteries incorrectly thrown into kerbside bins are causing an average of three fires a week in NSW waste collection services alone. Battery related fires are becoming more common in waste collection trucks, transfer stations and landfill sites.
When compressed, batteries catch alight. This has the potential to ignite a fire in highly flammable waste which causes toxic emissions and can be difficult to extinguish. There’s also a growing risk with lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries, which are energy-dense and contain highly flammable electrolytes. Lithium-ion batteries are highly sensitive to temperature changes and may spontaneously catch alight. No batteries can safely be disposed of in kerbside collection services.
Lachlan Shire Environment and Waste Coordinator, Rowan Bentick, reminds you that “the Condobolin Community Recycling Centre at the Condobolin Waste Facility accepts batteries for disposal and recycling free of charge. Make sure you play your part in diverting this dangerous waste away from landfill and keep our community and the environment safe.”
Press Release.