Used batteries belong in battery recycling units.
Dispose of used household batteries safely through Council's battery recycling scheme
If put in wheelie bins, batteries can potentially harm staff and members of the public. They also contain numerous components that are bad for the environment.
Batteries deteriorate if not in use and can become hazardous. Collecting batteries before they deteriorate means they can be recycled appropriately, reducing safety risks and saving valuable components for reuse.
Loose batteries can be put in a battery recycling unit at your nearest EcoDrop or at a participating retail store. Visit the WasteMINZ website(external link) for a New Zealand-wide map.
We do not accept batteries from electric vehicles (EVs), e-scooters, e-bikes, solar panels, or any commercial sources. These can be taken to a commercial battery recycler, such as Phoenix Recycling Group(external link).
Christchurch locations
- EcoDrop Parkhouse Road(external link)
- EcoDrop Metro Place(external link)
- EcoDrop Styx Mill(external link)
- EcoShop Blenheim Road(external link)
- Mitre 10 Mega Brougham Street(external link)
- Mitre 10 Mega Hornby(external link)
- Mitre 10 Mega Ferrymead(external link)
- Mitre 10 Mega Papanui(external link)
- Mitre 10 Mega Prestons(external link)
- Bunnings Christchurch Airport(external link)
- Bunnings Shirley(external link)
- Bunnings Tower Junction(external link)
Wider Canterbury locations
- Rolleston New World(external link)
- Darfield Library and Service Centre(external link)
- Southbrook Resource Recovery Park Rangiora(external link)
- Pines Resource Recovery Park Selwyn(external link)
- Hanmer Library and Service Centre(external link)
- Lincoln New World Supermarket(external link)
- Resource Recovery Park Ashburton(external link)
- Redruth Resource Recovery Park Timaru (external link)
- Innovative Waste Kaikoura (external link)
Batteries that can be disposed of for free at our EcoDrop Recycling Centres(external link) include:
- Loose and embedded batteries from household devices including:
- AA, AAA, C, and D cell batteries
- alkaline cell
- lithium
- 9-volt
- Cr123 camera batteries
- dry cell and zinc
- Li-ion batteries (from laptops, cameras, cell phones and tools)
- NiCd
- NiMH
- gel cell.
- Damaged, leaking or rusty batteries.
- Removable and embedded batteries from mobile phones, tablets and laptops. Mobile phones can also be dropped off at a Vodafone, Spark or 2Degrees retailer and will be recycled through the Re:mobile scheme.(external link)
- Car batteries (excluding electric vehicles).
Batteries not accepted
We do not accept batteries from electric vehicles (EVs), e-scooters, e-bikes, solar panels, or any commercial sources.
These can be taken to a commercial battery recycler, such as Phoenix Recycling Group(external link).
Our contractor collects the batteries from each location. As there are no viable recycling options in New Zealand, batteries are sorted and prepared for shipping overseas to be recycled.
The separated components of the batteries are given a new life in a variety of industries.
