How to dispose of batteries the right way

Published on 06 March 2026

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Did you know that batteries should never go in your kerbside bins? It’s a small habit with big consequences - when batteries end up in waste or recycling trucks, they can spark fires that put workers, equipment and the community at risk. The good news is that disposing of them safely is easy, and there are plenty of convenient dropoff points right here in the City Unley. 

Where to take your everyday batteries 

Common household batteries like AA and AAA alkaline can be dropped off in small quantities at: 

  • Unley Works Depot – 75 King William Road (Mondays only, 7.30am–3.30pm) 
  • Unley Civic Centre & Unley Library – 181 Unley Road 
  • Goodwood Library – 101 Goodwood Road 
  • Adelaide Waste & Recycling Centre – 181 Morphett Road, North Plympton. 

For a wider range - including power tool batteries, mobile phone batteries, and button cell batteries - Barrow and Bench Mitre 10, 321 Unley Road, also accepts small quantities.  

It is good practice to put clear sticky tape over the battery terminals before dropping them off, and make sure they are kept out of reach of children. 

What about embedded batteries? 

Many modern gadgets, from earbuds to e-scooters, contain non-removable batteries. These are increasingly linked to fires in waste facilities, so it’s important to drop them off separately. Dedicated embedded battery collection points are now available across metropolitan Adelaide, accepting items like cordless vacuums, power banks, smart watches, e-bike batteries and even vapes. Find your nearest location via the GISA embedded battery dropoff sites webpage. 

While you’re sorting… a quick reminder about your kerbside bins 

Getting batteries out of your bins is a great start - so why not check what else goes where? Common items we see misplaced include: 

  • Compostable coffee cups → Green organics bin 
  • Compostable takeaway food containers → Green organics bin 
  • Food scraps → Green organics bin 
  • Plastic bags & soft plastics → General waste bin  
  • Broken glass → General waste bin 

To help dispose of items correctly, get more tips from our webpage What to put in your 3 bins. 

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