Batteries have become one of the most common items in Australian homes, powering everything from remote controls and toothbrushes to power tools, e-bikes and electric vehicles. Yet most of us give little thought to what happens to them once they stop working.

Batteries should never go in household general waste or recycling bins. Even batteries that appear flat can retain enough energy to start a fire if they are mishandled, crushed, or damaged in a truck or recycling facility. Batteries can contain substances that may be harmful to the environment if they aren’t handled properly.

With National Recycling Week taking place from 9 to 15 November, it’s a good time to drop off any used batteries you have hidden away at home. We’re here to tell you what happens to those batteries once they reach a collection point.

What happens after drop-off?

Batteries are collected and taken to specialist recycling facilities, where they’re sorted by type. This is an important first step because different battery chemistries need different recycling processes.

Common alkaline batteries, such as AAs and AAAs, can be mechanically separated into shredded steel and a zinc and manganese mixture known as ‘black sand’. The recovered steel can be recycled through steel mills, while the black sand can be further processed for use in fertiliser applications or refined to recover zinc and manganese for new products.

Batteries are sorted and processed at EcoBatt facilities to recover valuable materials. Image: EcoBatt

Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries require a more specialised process. This separates metals such as steel, copper and aluminium and produces a dry powder known as ‘black mass’. Depending on the battery chemistry, this powder can contain lithium, graphite, cobalt and nickel, which can be recovered through further refining.

Not everything recovered will become a new battery. These materials can also find new uses across other industries, helping to reduce waste and keep finite resources in use.

Ready to recycle your batteries?

Start with a quick check of your drawers and cupboards. Before dropping off ordinary household batteries, cover their terminals (the positive and negative points on the battery, generally on each end) with clear sticky tape or electrical tape to help prevent short circuits. For button batteries, also tape both sides. Keep used batteries in a cool, dry place, away from children, until you can take them for recycling.

There are a number of participating retailers and councils with collection points where you can safely drop-off your batteries. Check what your nearest location accepts, as different battery types may need different services. Swollen or damaged batteries should never be placed in a public battery collection bin. Contact your local council or a specialist service for advice on safe handling.

Drop off your household batteries at one of EcoBatt's safe collection bins today to ensure they get recycled. Image: EcoBatt

Thirty years of recycling progress

National Recycling Week began in 1996, when most Australians associated recycling with newspapers, cans and glass bottles. Thirty years on, dedicated collection programs are helping us recycle more of the things that don’t belong in the yellow bin, including batteries.

That same year, specialist recycler EcoCycle began operating in Australia, focusing on complex waste streams such as mercury and lighting waste. Today, the wider EcoCycle Group includes EcoBatt, EcoCycle Group’s dedicated battery collection and recycling business and an Associate Sponsor of National Recycling Week 2026.

At its Campbellfield facility in Melbourne, EcoBatt has invested in advanced technology to sort, discharge and process used batteries, supporting Australia’s onshore processing capabilities. The aim is to recover materials that can be used again, rather than lose them to landfill. Some recovered metals are also supplied to Castings Tasmania, another EcoCycle Group business, for use in manufacturing.

It’s an example of how much work goes on after we drop something off for recycling, and why choosing the right collection service is so important.

This National Recycling Week, give those forgotten batteries a proper send-off. A few minutes spent finding the right drop-off point can help prevent fires and make sure valuable materials have the chance to be recovered.

Find out how and where to recycle your batteries with Recycling Near You.