To ensure you're receiving the most up-to-date and accurate information, please choose the correct agency from the homepage. The DHEC website is no longer being updated and will be permanently unavailable Dec. 31, 2024.
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To ensure you''re receiving the most up-to-date and accurate information, please choose the correct agency from the homepage. The DHEC website is no longer being updated and will be permanently unavailable Dec. 31, 2024.
Batteries can and should be recycled.
Batteries contain metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, nickel and silver, which can pose a threat to human health and safety as well as the environment.
Some batteries (e.g., lithium-ion) also contain cobalt and lithium, which are considered critical minerals, meaning they are essential in our society. When a battery is thrown away, those resources can never be recovered.
Improper disposal of batteries, particularly those containing lithium, can cause fires or explosions. Additionally, responsible battery recycling keeps millions of pounds of critical, potentially harmful metals out of the landfill and in use. In South Carolina, recycling options are available.
The first rule in managing batteries safely is to always follow the manufacturer''s instructions. Here are additional tips on preparing batteries for recycling.
Incorrectly disposed of batteries in kerbside bins have caused more than 10,000 fires in Australia in the past 12 months, creating hazards for truck drivers, material recovery facilities and householders.
Embedded batteries, especially lithium-ion ones, should not be placed in household bins under any circumstances given the high fire risk when they are compacted in collection trucks and at waste facilities.
South Australians can continue to safely dispose of their batteries year-round at accredited B-cycle locations across the state. This includes AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, 6V, button cell, detachable appliance and power tool batteries.
Accepted embedded battery items include:
If batteries can easily be removed from a device, people are urged to only bring the loose batteries. Once a battery is dead, people are encouraged to tape both terminals and store in a safe location, out of reach of children, before dropping them off at the nearest battery recycling collection point which includes supermarkets.
This weekend’s drop-off is a Green Industries SA initiative in partnership with Adelaide Hills Regional Waste Management Authority, Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority, City of Campbelltown, and City of West Torrens.
For more details on accepted and not accepted items and alternative recycling options visit
While there is a national response being developed for safer battery recovery, we want to help South Australians reduce the risk of battery fires through this major weekend drop-off event.
The good news is that many batteries are quickly and easily recyclable through existing drop-off locations that are close and convenient for South Australians.
Simple ‘AA’ batteries or detachable power tool batteries are recyclable through the national B-Cycle battery recycling scheme.
This weekend’s event will focus on the trickier embedded batteries which are now found in more and more consumer products.
We know we need to act to reduce the fire risk of improperly disposing of batteries in kerbside bins and this trial event will help us gauge just how many embedded batteries are out there, and how eager South Australians are to recycle them.
Just last week a lithium-ion battery exploded in a recycling truck in the Adelaide Hills, causing more than $150,000 damage and triggering an emergency response from the Country Fire Service.
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