Research has revealed that 41 per cent of households with young children are incorrectly placing batteries in household rubbish bins.
When single use batteries and electronics end up in kerbside bins or landfill, they pose serious risks.
Lithium-ion batteries can ignite when crushed in garbage trucks or recycling facilities, causing dangerous fires that endanger waste workers and the community.
They also leach toxic chemicals into the environment.
Darren McQuade, Fire Rescue Victoria’s assistant chief fire officer of community resilience, said FRV estimated it attended one fire a day caused by rechargeable batteries.
“When electronic items containing rechargeable batteries are crushed in collection or recycling trucks after being incorrectly disposed of in kerbside bins, they can catch alight,” he said.
“This puts the community at risk.”
A fire in a rubbish truck also forces waste and recycling to be dumped in public spaces — a huge clean-up job for councils and council workers.
With many households receiving new phones, tablets, gaming consoles and small appliances during the festive period, obsolete items now pose a risk of incorrect disposal.
Sustainability Victoria chief executive Matt Genever said despite e-waste being banned from landfill since 2019, too many batteries still ended up in household bins.
“This campaign is about shining a light on the embedded batteries in everyday items like electric toothbrushes, vacuum cleaners, power tools, e-bikes, vapes and portable chargers, and reminding Victorians that batteries and e-waste do not belong in kerbside bins.
“It’s a small act that has a big impact on the safety of our environment and community,” he said.
To make safe disposal easier, battery disposal points across the state are being expanded with an additional 50 battery drop-off locations to be created and 17 sites around Victoria upgraded, thanks to Victorian Government funding.
There are a number of sites in Benalla where you can dispose of batteries and electrical devices. You can find them by visiting sustainability.vic.gov.au/recycling-and-reducing-waste-at-home/small-acts-big-impact/small-act-take-batteries-to-recycling-point and using its interactive map to find safe disposal locations in their area.
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