One spark is all it takes - fires at waste management facilities caused by batteries

Isaac Regional Council has seen a significant increase in the number of fires at our waste management facilities, when items brought in as scrap metal are processed for recycling and have not had their batteries removed.

To ensure that Council’s scrap metal contractor remains safe and is not exposed to further risks of fire, Council is increasing its vigilance over what customers are bringing to our waste management facilities.

 When disposing of an item which contains any type of battery, please:

Take care to remove the battery first. When arriving at Council’s waste sites, explain to the site staff that you have brought a powered item with the battery removed and follow the staff’s instructions. DO NOT conceal your batteries - there is no charge for powered items or batteries. DO NOT place batteries in your wheelie bin – garbage collection trucks can and do catch fire from batteries placed in bins.

Certain batteries such as the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery can combust if they are damaged or broken and come into contact with air or water. Many common household devices are now powered by Li-ion batteries, which are compact, powerful and easy to charge. The range of battery power items is wide including:

Metal detectors Electric scooters Electric lawn mowers Portable power tools Golf carts Cordless vacuums/robot vacuums Laptops/smartphones Vapes Hoverboards Portable car jump starter Motorised kids’ cars/motorbikes/quads Remote control cars/toys Electric bikes Electric skateboards

This list is not exhaustive but gives an idea of what might contain a battery.

Please check and remove all batteries before disposing of items, and tell the staff at your waste management facility, they will be happy help you to dispose of the batteries safely, at no cost for residential customers.

Council is working to provide alternative ways to dispose of batteries in the future and the Return-It Depot in Moranbah also accepts some batteries. In the meantime, please drop any waste batteries off at your local waste management facility and let the staff help you do it safely.

For more information, visit Council’s website www.isaac.qld.gov.au or phone Council’s 24/7 Customer Service Centre on 1300 ISAACS (1300 472 227).

Jeff Stewart-Harris PSM Chief Executive Officer

Published: 9th November 2022