Whakatāne District Council Urges Residents to Recycle Batteries Safely

Photo: Whakāne District Council Release.

The Whakatāne District Council is urging Eastern Bay residents to “think before they toss” as a rising number of batteries are being found in local rubbish and recycling bins.

Although batteries may be small, they can still cause serious problems if not disposed of correctly. Since they are highly flammable, they pose a significant fire risk in household waste and recycling systems. Already across New Zealand, numerous incidents have been linked to old batteries. As well as this batteries also contribute to the overall issue of waste contamination.

To start cracking down on the issue, and work on public safety, the District Council have now launched a free battery recycling service.

A new dedicated battery recycling station is available at the Whakatāne Resource Recovery Centre. The Murupara Resource Recovery Centre will also accept batteries for safe recycling and transport.

“Our contractors have seen a significant rise in batteries being incorrectly disposed of in mixed recycling,” said Nigel Clarke, the Council’s Manager of Solid Waste. “This not only contaminates recyclables but also increases fire risks at waste facilities. In January alone, batteries were found nine times on the sorting line at Tauranga’s Materials Recovery Facility." Making the incorrect disposal of batteries is becoming a growing concern.

Recent audits have reveal that around 30% of material in our local recycling bins are non-recyclable, which increases the risk of contamination and makes recycling efforts here in the Eastern Bay less effective.

“We’re asking residents to double-check what they’re putting in their bins and to never bin batteries. Instead, drop them off at our new recycling stations" Clarke said. As well as this when dropping batteries off at a recycling station, residents are being asked to tape the top terminals, to reduce any further risks of the battery being active.

Council is now pushing the message that by disposing of our batteries correctly, local residents can help protect our recycling infrastructure, reduce fire risks, and support a safer, cleaner community.