Battery recycling trial

We’re running a one-year trial battery recycling programme to help divert hazardous waste from landfill. We’ll be starting at our central Paraparaumu Library in June 2023, and once we have enough information on how many batteries are being recycled, and any contamination, we hope to roll out the trial to our other libraries.

When you recycle batteries, you help:

• avoid water and air pollution caused by improperly disposed batteries
• save valuable natural components by allowing those in the batteries to be reused.

How to recycle

Help us recycle right! Upcycle will collect the batteries, and over 99 percent of the components in your batteries will be reused for new batteries and steel building reinforcing rods. It’s really important we avoid contamination, and follow the guidelines below.

Sort your batteries, and recycle the right ones

Batteries we’re accepting in the trial include:

• lithium ion (eg. rechargeable batteries)
• nickel cadmium and alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, 9V, C, CR, D, N)
• silver zinc hearing aid batteries.

We can’t accept the following batteries – please take these to the Ōtaki or Otaihanga Transfer Station for safe disposal:

• batteries that are leaking.
• power tool batteries
• electronic device batteries
• vehicle batteries.

Tape the ends of lithium batteries

Tape across the ends of any lithium batteries (AA/AAA, C, D marked “Lithium” and button/coin cells may begin with CR###). We’ve set up our recycling stations with tape on them to help with this. 

Naked batteries only!

Put your batteries in the recycling station “naked” – not in any bags etc. Any other materials in our recycling station could create a hazard.

Our battery recycling station

You’ll find our battery recycling station in the foyer of the Paraparaumu Library; watch this space for rollout of our next station.

We’re very proud of our unique station, handcrafted by members of the MenzShed from materials recovered by the Zero Waste Ōtaki timber recycling centre.

Reduce

Remember to reduce, too! Although recycling right is a great place to start, you could also try reducing the number of disposable batteries you need to get rid of, but investing in rechargeable batteries for your household's remote devices. This help avoid carbon emissions associated with making new disposable batteries. 

You can choose to reduce batteries by buying:

• things that don’t rely on batteries, when that’s an option
• reusable/rechargeable batteries.