In the Taupō District, there is free battery recycling to reduce the risk.

To avoid injuries, or worse, to our kerbside collectors and landfill operators, batteries should not be put in any kerbside or public rubbish and recycling bins.

Instead, they can be recycled at free drop-off points at Broadlands Road Landfill and Resource Recovery Centre in Taupō or at Tūrangi, Mangakino, and Kinloch Transfer Stations.

Batteries from vapes and electronic devices thrown away in general rubbish can cause havoc in rubbish trucks and at our local waste facilities. Taupō District Deputy Mayor Kevin Taylor says the fire risk is very real and has caused multiple incidents already.

“When your general rubbish or recycling is collected, any batteries in it are going to be squashed, punctured, or soaked in liquids. If this happens, some types of battery can explode, causing fires that put the team in danger and disrupting your waste service.

“More than just damaging the truck, those fires pose a serious health risk to the rubbish collection team. They put in the hard mahi, rain or shine, and should feel safe, knowing they are going home at the end of the day to their whānau like you and me,” Cr Taylor says.

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Even if they don’t cause a fire, damaged batteries contain chemicals and materials that can harm the environment if they aren’t recycled responsibly. There is also a financial cost in putting out fires, cleaning up, replacing equipment and insuring for fire damage.

“Some batteries hide in electronic devices or vapes and must be taken out before disposal,” Cr Taylor says.

“As well as batteries, many electronics, including computers, mobile phones, televisions and whiteware, can also be recycled for free at our transfer stations in Taupō, Tūrangi, Mangakino, and Kinloch.”

When you recycle batteries responsibly, the batteries are collected in safe containers and sent to facilities which specialise in safe battery sorting and recycling.

To find out more about free battery recycling visit www.taupodc.govt.nz/rubbish.

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