In the last three years, Auckland Council has recorded 58 rubbish and recycling truck fires, with many linked to batteries and battery-powered items being disposed of incorrectly. Batteries in household rubbish or recycling bins can be crushed or damaged, causing them to overheat and ignite.
Aucklanders now have 10 more places to safely recycle household batteries. The pilot, a partnership between Woolworths New Zealand, battery recycling specialist Ecobatt and Auckland Council, aims to make battery recycling easier and more accessible while helping keep batteries out of household rubbish and recycling bins. The new battery recycling kiosks are located near the entrances of participating stores at:
- Silverdale
- Takapuna
- Grey Lynn
- Auckland Central (Quay Street)
- Lincoln Road
- Waiata Shores
- Manurewa
- Auckland Airport
- Highland Park
- Beachlands
Batteries can also be dropped off at some Bunnings and Mitre 10 stores and many community recycling centres across Auckland. A city centre location is Mistry Shoe Repairs & Engraving at 15 Customs Street East.
CTA has been submitting since at least 2012 about places to recycle batteries. From our Draft Auckland Waste Management and Minimisation Plan submission page 4: We note that people living in London can take their household batteries to any of the London libraries and put them in a battery recycling collection box. This would seem to be a good interim way of dealing with used batteries in Auckland until resource recovery centres are in place.
Image: Auckland Council