The Central Otago District Council has installed drop off stations, built by the Alexandra Menz Shed, at the Alexandra and Cromwell transfer stations to handle a variety of batteries, including button cells, alkaline, dry-cell, zinc and lithium-ion batteries. The Ranfurly and Roxburgh transfer stations will collect batteries which will be taken to Alexandra.
Council infrastructure manager Quinton Penniall said the battery recycling service trial would be free for about six months, the costs being covered by Environment Ministry waste minimisation funding. The batteries would be recycled in Auckland and Christchurch.
Batteries, particularly lithium batteries, contributed to fires in kerbside collection vehicles and at landfills.
Vehicle batteries were accepted free of charge at Central Otago transfer stations.
