One spark is all it takes

Published on 04 November 2024

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Isaac Regional Council has seen a significant increase in fires at our waste management facilities across the region. These incidents are primarily due to the improper disposal of batteries, which are often placed in general waste bins. When these bins are collected by our contracted waste trucks and transported to landfill sites, the batteries can ignite, leading to dangerous fires.

Council has stepped up its vigilance over what residents are bringing to waste management facilities. When disposing of an item which contains any type of battery:

  • Take care to remove the battery first.
  • DO NOT place batteries in your wheelie bin – garbage collection trucks can, and do, catch fire from batteries placed in bins.
  • 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 brought in from households by residents in small private vehicles or trailers.

Certain batteries such as the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery can combust if they are burst open 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.

Residents may be surprised to learn about the wide range of items which are now powered by Li-ion batteries:

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

This list is not exhaustive. If in doubt, please remove all batteries before disposal.

Residents can dispose of batteries for free at any of our Waste Management Facilities. Simply ask our friendly staff to direct you to the battery recycling bins. Additionally, all Council offices and libraries have collection buckets for smaller batteries.

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).

CALE DENDLE
Chief Executive Officer

 

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