FROM REDLAND CITY COUNCIL
Redlands Coast, we need your help to prevent fires from occurring as a result of incorrect battery disposal in household waste and recycling bins.
Across the past 12 months, a total of six battery fires were detected in Council’s collection trucks, with a further two occurring at Recycling and Waste Centres.
This is putting our waste truck drivers, waste facility staff and the broader Redlands Coast community at risk.
It is also costly, with fires potentially resulting in damage to waste trucks and other waste and recycling infrastructure.
Compaction, or contact with a heat or water source, is all it takes for a lithium-ion battery to catch fire or explode.
We don’t want to see someone getting injured – or worse – as a result of a battery being thrown away in a household waste or recycling bin.
That’s why we’re asking the community to make proper battery disposal part of their New Year’s resolution for 2026.
By taking your used household batteries to dedicated drop-off points at locations such as Aldi, Woolworths, Coles, Bunnings and Battery World, you can do your part in keeping the community safe.
Residents can check their nearest battery drop-off locations on the Recycle Mate app or through the B-cycle website.
It also pays to be mindful that batteries can be found in everyday household items such as electric toothbrushes, children’s toys, drills, laptops, vapes, vacuums and light-up decorations used for festive celebrations.
While waste trucks are equipped with cameras to detect incorrectly disposed items, batteries can be hard to spot when they become mixed up with other items.
Our waste truck drivers and workers at waste and recycling facilities deserve a safe working environment – and we can all contribute to this by keeping batteries out of bins.
Let’s aim for a fire-free 2026.
For more information on hazardous waste disposal, visit Council’s website at redland.qld.gov.au.
