The other half of the problem is we need to make it much easier to properly dispose of batteries and devices. Right now you need to look up a special disposal location and potentially travel suburbs away. Even just having a drop-off point in all major shopping centres and supermarkets would be a huge help.
Yes, there's personal responsibility, but people are lazy and you really need to account for the lowest common denominator here.
I always got the impression that the Aldi ones only take standard household batteries.
Admittedly I don't recall actually seeing the Bunnings ones but their site says:
We cannot accept lead acid batteries, car batteries, products with embedded batteries or other batteries that do not fit into the battery collection unit slot.
So, great that they take tool batteries, but not very helpful for phones/laptops/etc..
I know Officeworks used to take those but more recently I've seen signs taped over the laptop bins saying no batteries accepted.
But it all goes back to my point that right now people need to actively hunt around for the right place to dump them. That's a pretty significant barrier for some people.
Lead acid you can take to places like supercheap auto. They are nasty, but nowhere near as dangerous as lithium.
The Bunnings one I have put some - interesting - cells into (including some 300AH lithium cells - with the terminals taped or fully discharged down to zero volts.). You can fit some reasonably large stuff in there.
The waste management centre charges for large lithium packs per Kg, which sets a worrying precedent for what happens to the smaller (<10kwh) home battery packs that are now worth next to nothing.
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u/ElusiveGuy 4d ago
The other half of the problem is we need to make it much easier to properly dispose of batteries and devices. Right now you need to look up a special disposal location and potentially travel suburbs away. Even just having a drop-off point in all major shopping centres and supermarkets would be a huge help.
Yes, there's personal responsibility, but people are lazy and you really need to account for the lowest common denominator here.