The South Australian Government, supported by Green Industries SA, has established four new dedicated collection points to safely manage battery disposal and provide more ways for people to recycle their old products – or unwanted Christmas gifts.
The free service is available at Campbelltown Works Depot, Adelaide Waste and Recycling Centre (North Plympton), Heathfield Resource Recovery Centre and NAWMA Resource Recovery Centre (Edinburgh North).
Accepted embedded battery items include:
- Bluetooth speakers and headphones.
- Flashing/light up, remote controlled and ride-on toys.
- E-scooters, e-bikes and hoverboards.
- Electric toothbrushes and shavers.
- Vacuum cleaners (cordless hand-held and robotic).
- Wearable devices such as smart watches, trackers and medical aids.
Incorrectly disposed of batteries in kerbside bins contribute to more than 10,000 battery fires in Australia each year, threatening community safety and key services.
The Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) is also seeing an increase in lithium-ion battery fires, responding to about 50 incidents so far this year – more than last year’s total related cases. The SA Country Fire Service has responded to around 20 lithium-ion battery fires in 2025.
Recent South Australian incidents which the industry believes are linked to batteries include major fires at Goolwa and Port Augusta waste and recycling depots and a blaze in the back of a collection truck in the CBD.
The drop-off initiative has been delivered in partnership with the Adelaide Hills Regional Waste Management Authority, Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority, Campbelltown City Council and City of West Torrens – and follows calls from industry and councils for more support.
In addition to the new embedded battery drop-off centres, South Australians can continue to safely dispose of their loose and easily removable batteries year-round at accredited B-cycle locations, including in regional areas. This includes AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, 6V, button cell, detachable appliance and power tool batteries.
Once these loose household batteries are dead, people are encouraged to tape both terminals and store them in a safe location, out of reach of children, before dropping them off at the nearest battery recycling collection point, which includes supermarkets.
Gayle Sloan, Waste Management and Resource Recovery Australia Chief Executive Officer, said it is a practical and welcome step by the South Australian Government that will immediately help keep dangerous batteries out of household bins and out of waste trucks and facilities.
“Battery-related fires are one of the fastest-growing and most serious risks facing the waste and resource recovery industry. This expansion will directly assist in improving safety for our workers, vehicles and communities across South Australia,” Sloan said.
MFS Chief Officer Jeff Swann said firefighters are increasingly responding to incidents that were near misses, and it’s clear a serious injury, or worse, could occur if behaviours don’t change.
Green Industries SA will run a targeted education campaign to reinforce safety messaging.
Related stories:
Batteries force ‘hot loads’ dumped in Tweed rubbish trucks
South Australia launches safety campaign to fight lithium-ion battery fires
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