Cumberland City Council is on a mission to keep our community safe and environmentally friendly.
Did you know that improperly disposing of batteries can lead to hazardous fires during waste collection and processing?
Your seemingly harmless household clean-up could turn into a major safety hazard for our hardworking waste collection crews and the entire community.
We’re here to educate and empower you to dispose of your battery waste responsibly.
Here’s what you need to know.
- What’s the risk? Lithium batteries found in everyday items like laptops, mobile phones, electric bikes and scooters can pose a serious fire hazard if not disposed of properly. Recent incidents across the state have highlighted the importance of safe battery disposal.
- Say no to kerbside bins! Batteries should NEVER go in your regular trash or kerbside bins. Instead, bring them to designated drop-off points to ensure they’re handled safely.
- How can you help? Take advantage of our Chemical Cleanout Events or book a service with the Mobile Community Recycling Service (MCRS) to responsibly dispose of your battery waste. Let’s work together to prevent fires and protect our community!
Spread the word and let’s make Cumberland City a safer place for everyone!
Items with embedded battery
Embedded batteries are becoming more common in everyday products. Disposing or recycle these items can be challenging due to the different components and materials they are made of. All batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries, should never be disposed of in your kerbside red, yellow or green bins. Batteries contain chemicals that can be harmful to human health and the environment are highly flammable.
Embedded batteries are found in many rechargeable items that don't have a replaceable battery.
To dispose or recycle batteries correctly, you can book a pick up from Council’s Mobile Community Recycling Service, visit an EPA Community Recycling Centre or search your nearest recycling centre.
List of items with embedded batteries accepted in Council’s Mobile Community Recycling Service
- Bluetooth speakers and headphones
- Tablets, laptops and mobile phones
- Electric toothbrushes
- Handheld drills
- Hand-held massage gaming consoles
- Digital cameras
- Speakers
- Cordless phones
- Personal care devices such as shavers
- Power bank and portable charging devices
- Vacuum cleaners (cordless hand-held and robotic)
- Wearable devices such as smart watches, trackers and medical aids
Items not accepted in Council’s Mobile Community Recycling Service
- E-scooters, e-bikes and hover boards
- Vapes
- Remote controlled and ride-on toys
The EPA has established a trial, in partnership with local councils, to accept products with embedded batteries at selected Community Recycling Centre locations. Residents can now dispose of household quantities of embedded battery products for free, including vapes, e-bikes to the Community Recycling Centre trial sites.
For information on embedded batteries and Community Recycling Centre trial sites visit: Embedded batteries | EPA