Residents incorrectly putting batteries and flammables in their bins has sparked a surge in fires in garbage trucks and at dumps.
There have been 140 rubbish fires in the past five years, with incidents of potentially deadly fires and explosions becoming concerningly frequent.
Batteries and other flammable items such as gas bottles should never be placed in household bins.
These fires aren’t just occurring at Council’s dumps, these items can also start a fire or explode in garbage trucks which can cause harm to bystanders and garbage truck drivers, destroy garbage trucks and potentially damage people’s properties.
In the past five years there have been 43 instances of what is called a “hot load” which is when a garbage truck must dump their entire rubbish load onto the street because of an explosion caused by a flammable item.
Batteries can be recycled for free at any of Council’s four Resource Recovery Centres located in Chandler, Willawong, Ferny Grove, and Nudgee.
Council also holds free Household Hazardous Waste days, allowing residents to dispose of items that are not accepted in general waste bins such as bleach and garden and pool chemicals.
Household Hazardous Waste days scheduled for 2024
- 7 September at Chandler
- 7 December at Nudgee
Additional recycling points include Coles, Woolworths and Aldi stores locally. Find your closest location at https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/batteries/BrisbaneQLD or https://www.ecobatt.net/drop-off-locations/
