How to dispose of batteries and electronic waste in Victoria

Batteries and electronics can cause fires. Don’t put them in any bin.

Keep your community safe and help recycle valuable materials by taking batteries and electronic waste (e-waste) to a drop-off point.

Find a drop-off point

Find out where to drop off batteries and electronic waste for safe recycling or disposal in your local area.

Why batteries and electronics can’t go in bins

Batteries can cause fires in recycling collection trucks and facilities, putting the community at risk. This includes rechargeable batteries hidden inside many electronics like smartphones, electric toothbrushes and laptops.

Batteries and electronics also contain valuable materials that can be recovered for recycling, such as copper. Dispose of e-waste the right way to give these resources new life.

What is e-waste?

E-waste is any item with a battery, plug or cord that no longer works. This includes everything from an old mobile phone or vacuum cleaner to a toaster or vape.

E-waste includes many items with embedded batteries hidden inside. If a device lights up, makes a sound, moves, or needs charging, it has an embedded battery. And even when it doesn’t work anymore, the battery inside can still hold power. It can be dangerous if it’s not disposed of safely.

Common items with embedded batteries include:

• Bluetooth speakers and headphones
• electric toothbrushes
• e-scooters, e-bikes and hoverboards
• flashing and light up toys
• personal care devices (e.g. shavers)
• powerpacks and portable charging devices
• remote controlled and ride-on toys
• vacuum cleaners (e.g. cordless hand-held and robotic)
• vapes
• wearable devices such as smartwatches, trackers and medical aids.
• power tools.

How to safely dispose of batteries and electronics

In Victoria, it’s illegal to dispose of e-waste in any household or kerbside bin. Collect batteries and broken electronics and store them safely at home until you can take them to a drop-off point.

Store used batteries safely

• Cover the terminals of used batteries with clear sticky tape. This prevents sparking and reduces the risk of fire.
• Store taped batteries in a glass or plastic container that is not airtight (e.g. a jam jar or ice cream tub without the lid on).
• Do not store batteries in a metal container or with other metal objects.
• Store batteries in a cool, dry place, away from heat sources.
• Keep batteries away from children and pets.