Products with embedded batteries are becoming increasingly prevalent in our everyday lives. Chances are you might not even be aware of how many embedded batteries are collectively in your home.
Products with embedded batteries are considered problematic as they can be difficult to dispose of or recycle at their end of life due to the different components and materials that they’re made of.
All batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries, should never be disposed of in your kerbside red, yellow or green bins as they contain chemical substances that can be harmful to human health and the environment.
The NSW EPA has established a trial, in partnership with Wagga Wagga City Council, to accept products with embedded batteries at Gregadoo Waste Management Centre.
The Embedded Batteries Trial began September 2024 and will run until September 2026.
Items accepted as part of the Embedded Battery disposal trial
Common items you might have at home that may contain an embedded battery are:
- Bluetooth speakers and headphones
- Electric toothbrushes
- E-scooters, e-bikes and hover boards
- Flashing/light up toys – particularly wands or other hard plastic products
- Personal care devices (e.g. shavers)
- Powerpacks and portable charging devices
- Remote controlled and ride-on toys
- Vacuum cleaners (cordless hand-held and robotic)
- Vapes
- Wearable devices such as smart watches, trackers and medical aids
Many products have removable batteries, so if the batteries can be easily removed, please only bring the loose batteries.
Drop-off location
132 Ashfords Road
Gregadoo, NSW 2650
Ph: 1300 292 442
Items not accepted as part of the Embedded Battery disposal trial
E-waste
E-waste refers to items such as:
- Televisions
- Computers and computer parts
- Printers
- Computer peripherals (i.e: keyboards, scanners, hard drives etc)
- Gaming controllers
These items are covered under the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS) and should be directed to Council’s e-waste collection point at the Community Recycling Centre which is also located at the Gregadoo Waste Management Centre.
Other e-waste drop off locations can be found via the NTCRS webpage
E-waste products containing an embedded battery, such as rechargeable gaming controllers and laptops, are accepted as part of the NTCRS rather than through the Embedded Battery trial.
Mobile phones
MobileMuster is the product stewardship scheme for the collection and recycling of mobile phones and associated accessories.
Wagga Wagga City Council has a MobileMuster collection point located at the Wagga Wagga Civic Centre, corner of Baylis and Morrow streets.
Other locations can be found via the MobileMuster website
Oversized items
Oversized items are also not accepted. Check with Council before presenting anything over 20kgs or that is bulky/requiring special delivery and/or more than one person from a manual handling perspective.
There are 21 Community Recycling Centres participating in the Embedded Batteries Trial throughout NSW. Visit www.epa.nsw.gov.au/embedded-batteries to find other trial locations.