Don’t bin your batteries
Never dispose of batteries and battery-operated devices in your waste or recycling kerbside bins.
Instead, take them to a nearby collection point to dispose of them safely.
There are dedicated locations across the state where you can return batteries and battery-operated items for safe disposal.
- Visit Recycle Mate, a national recycling initiative that can help you recycle batteries (and wide range of other items). Visit the Recycle Mate website or download the phone app to search for your nearest battery and battery-operated items collection point. You can also take a picture of your battery and the Recycle Mate app will identify it and where to safely dispose of it.
- Visit B-cycle, Australia’s official battery recycling scheme, to locate one of their battery drop-off locations. For loose batteries (like single use alkaline AA, AAA batteries), many Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and Bunnings have B-cycle collections in store.
- Visit your local council website or contact them to find your nearest battery drop-off point.
Lithium-ion batteries are found in most devices and can be more volatile than traditional batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries are rechargeable and can be found in e-scooters, e-bikes, laptops, phones, power tools, kid’s toys, electric toothbrushes and cordless vacuums.
Visit the Queensland Fire Department's website to learn more about Lithium-ion battery safety.
What the Queensland Government is doing
In February 2025, we announced a number of immediate actions to address battery fire risks following a series of incidents in Brisbane and Cairns and more than 202 fires during the past 12 months.
This includes:
- Providing $2 million in grants to support councils to expand their battery collection points at convenient locations, including for problem batteries like those in vapes and e-scooters.
- Working closely with the waste industry on practical ways to reduce fire risks to protect workers and essential waste services, and
- Equipping Queenslanders with information to make informed decision about safe battery disposal through education and awareness initiatives.
For councils and industry
We continue to work with councils and the waste industry to implement strategies to address battery fire risks. This includes committing $2 million in funding to support Councils expand battery collection points.
The Local Government Battery Collection Program
The Local Government Battery Collection Program is part of the Queensland Government’s three-point plan to tackle battery safety.
Grants of up to $100,000 are available to all Queensland councils or groups of councils to expand battery collection points and provide safer and more convenient disposal of problem batteries that currently have limited options for disposal.
By supporting Queensland councils to expand the number of collection points, this funding will not only make it safer and easier to properly dispose of batteries; but environmental risks and fires caused by battery combustion in council waste collection trucks and facilities will also be reduced.
Learn more about the Local Government Battery Collection Program.
Impacts of incorrect disposal of batteries
Incorrect battery disposal can result in injury, fire hazards and environmental harm.
When compacted or punctured in waste trucks or at recycling facilities batteries can start fires, emit toxic gases and cause acid burns.