Don't bin batteries: how a flat battery in the wrong bin starts fires

A dead AA in the kitchen bin feels harmless. It isn't. That single flat battery, crushed inside a garbage truck or at a sorting facility, is one of the most common ways a lithium-ion fire now starts in Australia, out of sight, in the waste stream.

The scale is startling. The waste and recycling industry estimates that batteries cause between 10,000 and 12,000 fires a year in Australia's waste and recycling streams, now running at close to one a day (Battery Stewardship Council [BSC], 2026). And the source is us: B-cycle's Positive Charge Report estimates Australian homes hold more than 110 million loose or removable batteries, an average of about 11 per household, yet nearly half of households still put batteries in general waste or recycling bins at least some of the time (BSC, 2026).

Why a bin is the worst place for a battery

When a lithium-ion battery is crushed or punctured, in a truck's compactor or a facility's machinery, it can short internally and enter thermal runaway, releasing intense heat and toxic, flammable gas (Larsson et al., 2017). In a moving truck packed with paper and plastic, that becomes a fast fire that puts drivers and facilities at risk. Both fire services and the consumer regulator have warned that these incidents are climbing (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [ACCC], 2023; Fire and Rescue NSW [FRNSW], 2024).

The safe way to get rid of a battery

It takes about ten seconds per battery.

• Tape the terminals. Cover the ends of each used battery with clear sticky tape so they can't short against other batteries or metal. For button batteries, enclose the whole battery, which also matters for child safety.
• Store them safely. Keep used batteries in a glass jar or non-metal container, away from children, until you can drop them off.
• Never bin them. Batteries don't belong in the general, recycling or garden bins.
• Drop them at a B-cycle point. There are more than 5,700 accredited B-cycle drop-off points nationwide, and about 95% of Australians live within a 15-minute drive of one; they're common at major retailers, supermarkets and council facilities (BSC, 2026).

What about damaged, swollen or e-bike batteries?

Larger and damaged batteries need extra care. A swollen, damaged or recalled battery is higher-risk and shouldn't be left loose while it waits for disposal. Isolate it, ideally in a fire-resistant containment bag, away from anything combustible, and check the B-cycle website or your council for the right drop-off for larger e-bike, tool and device batteries. If a battery is hot, hissing, leaking or smoking, treat it as an emergency: if it's safe, get it away from people and buildings, then call 000.

Recycling batteries isn't only good for the environment, around 95% of a battery's materials can be recovered. It's one of the simplest fire-prevention steps in the entire chain. Tape it, trap it, take it.