Waste & recycling services

Recycle batteries, mobile phones and light bulbs

There are many easy and convenient ways to recycle your old batteries, mobiles and light bulbs.

$2 a bag for RecycleSmart’s power pick-up. Other services are free.

Project Status: When you need to do this

If you have old household batteries, mobile phones or light bulbs, you can recycle them safely using the options below.

What you need to do

  1. For batteries

    Type

    Where you can recycle them
    Household batteries
    • rechargeable and non-rechargeable
    • small handheld batteries from any brand
    • AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, 6V lantern, watch and button batteries
    Car batteries
    Other big batteries, like those in power tools or hoverboards
    Leaking or damaged batteries

    Put on gloves and place leaking or damaged batteries in a clear plastic bag.
    How to recycle batteries safely
    • Store your batteries in a cool, dry place, away from a heat source. For example, don’t store in the sun or near the oven.
    • Don’t use a metal container to store batteries.
    • Don’t mix household batteries with other battery types like car batteries.
    • Drop off your collected batteries regularly.

    Read more on battery safety.

  2. For mobile phones and their accessories

    You can recycle all types of mobile phones plus their chargers, cables, batteries kept in the phone, and headphones at:

    Don’t forget to delete your data. Make sure all data is permanently wiped from your device before you recycle or give it away. The recycling process doesn't include data wiping, only recycling.

    If your mobile is working, consider finding it a new home first. You could give it away or try advertising online through Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, Trading Post, eBay or Freecycle.

  3. For light bulbs

    Type

    Where you can recycle them 
    Household light bulbs – not including fluorescent tubes
    Fluorescent tubes
Our recycling station on the lower ground of Green Square Library.

Where to find our recycling stations

Old household batteries (no big batteries, like car batteries), mobile phones and light bulbs (no large lamps or fluorescent tubes) can be dropped off at one of our recycling stations, located at our customer service centres, libraries or community centres listed below.

Customer service centres

Libraries

Community centre

After you finish

Our contractor collects and recycles the items locally, using state-of-the-art processes and facilities.

In their next life:

  • old batteries can come back as brand new ones
  • mobile phones can be taken apart and ‘mined’ for gold, silver and palladium
  • light bulbs can be broken down and recycled into glass wool insulation and the mercury recovered for other uses.

Why it’s important to recycle it right

Batteries, mobile phones and light bulbs placed in your rubbish or recycling bin can cause fires in our collection trucks and harm our community.

If these items end up in a recycling plant or landfill, they can contaminate recyclable materials, leach toxic chemicals into our soil and possibly even contaminate the groundwater table – the source of our drinking water.

Some also contain valuable resources, like precious metals, that can be used in the production of new materials. This helps reduce the need for mining raw materials and associated environmental impacts.

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Top 5 ways to dispose of old tech