By Matthew Sims
Casey Council has urged residents not to put batteries in kerbside bins to help keep the community safe.
Batteries consist of toxic substances and can pose risks to your property and the people who empty your bins.
When batteries are placed in household bins, they can cause fires both in the bins and in the trucks that collect them.
So far this year, there have been five ’hot loads’ or in-truck battery fires across Casey.
Casey Council sustainability and waste manager Michael Jansen said Victoria Police, the State Emergency Service and Country Fire Authority were required to assist at the scene of the fires.
“The hot loads were tipped out in a safe space and foam was applied,” he said.
“In the most serious case, the truck was off-road for a fortnight due to damage that had been done to the wiring that runs through the top of the truck.”
Mr Jansen said residents should be careful not to put batteries in kerbside bins.
“If you need to dispose of batteries of any size, please take these to a battery drop-off so they can be recycled,” he said.
“This includes AA, button and rechargeable batteries, as well as batteries from cars, laptops, mobile phones, cameras, power tools and electronic toys.”
Tips to store your batteries safely at home before taking them to a drop-off include :
* Cover the ends of used batteries with duct tape or clear sticky tape, to prevent sparking and reduce the risk of fire;
* Store them in a glass container and make sure the container is not airtight;
* Don’t keep them in metal containers or with other metal objects;
* Store them in a cool, dry place away from heat sources; and
* Keep them away from children and pets.
Local battery drop-off locations are at the Hampton Park Recycling Centre and Transfer Station, Pakenham Waste Transfer Station (Future Recycling), Frankston Regional Recycling and Recovery Centre, Lysterfield Transfer Station, local Officeworks locations and Ecoactiv.
For more information on the disposal of various items, visit casey.vic.gov.au/how-get-rid-waste-unwanted-items
