Battery Recycling Program
Batteries are the most common form of hazardous waste disposed of by Australian households, with 97% ending up in the general waste bin. Used household batteries can be dropped off in over 20 locations in Perth’s western suburbs including libraries, council offices, schools, retail (now at Bunnings Stores in Claremont, Cottesloe and Subiaco Homebase) and recreation facilities (now at the Grove Library in Peppermint Grove, Subiaco Library, Claremont Aquatic Centre and Lords Recreation Centre in Subiaco). The collected batteries are taken to the JFR (Jim) McGeough Resource Recovery Facility where they are weighed and stockpiled for recycling.
The types of batteries accepted include:
- AA and AAA cells (single use & rechargeable batteries)
- C and D sized batteries
- Button batteries (e.g. from watches)
- 9V batteries
- 6V batteries (e.g. lantern/torch batteries)
Other types of batteries (eg lead-acid batteries) should be dropped off directly to the JRF (Jim) McGeough Resource Recovery Facility
What are the benefits of recycling batteries?
Household batteries contain metals such as zinc, manganese and steel which, like many natural resources, are found in limited supply. Separating batteries for recycling reduces the incidence of these valuable metals ending their life in landfill.
What happens to my batteries?
The batteries are collected for a metropolitan-wide shipment and go to recyclers:
Alkaline/Zinc Carbon/Zinc Air batteries are recycled during steel making processes
Nickel Cadmium Batteries are recycled via a High-Temperature Metal Reclamation (HTMR) process in Europe
Lithium Ion Batteries are recycled in Singapore through technology which recovers cobalt, lithium carbonate, scrap metal, and other precious metals
Household Battery Recycling Bin