767kgs of Batteries Recycled
The seemingly small task of recycling household batteries has amounted to a significant milestone for the Manawatū District and the environment. In the programme’s inaugural year, over 760kgs of batteries have been recycled from Manawatū District Council's battery recycling bins, diverting this material from landfill and preventing hazardous substances being leached into our soil and waterways.
Located at Feilding's Mitre10 (44 Kimbolton Road) and the Manawatū Resource Recovery Centre (247 Kawakawa Road, Feilding), these battery recycling bins accept all types of household batteries including alkaline (AA, AAA, 9V), lithium-ion (rechargeable batteries), nickel-cadium, button cell batteries and embedded battery devices.
The programme is offered in partnership with Phoenix Recycling who sort, process and package the batteries to be shipped to offshore battery recycling facilities. Diverting the waste from landfill, the facilities safely process and recycle the batteries, recovering valuable materials and properly disposing of hazardous materials.
Manawatū District has done more than just divert 767kgs of batteries from landfill. Battery recycling reduces the risk of harmful chemicals leaching into our soils and waterways, while preventing battery related fires in collection trucks, recycling facilities and landfills. By safely recovering valuable materials and disposing of hazardous components responsibly, the programme is helping protect the environment and support a sustainable future.
The programme is funded through Waste Levy, a government charge on waste sent to landfill. The funding is returned to Councils to support waste minimisation initiatives, meaning the battery recycling programme comes at no cost to ratepayers.
Following a successful inaugural year, Council’s Waste Minimisation team hopes to see even greater participation across the Manawatū District in the year ahead, helping to divert more batteries from landfill and build on the programme’s strong start.
