Wastenet teamed up with Phoenix Metalman to provide a drop-off point for any kind of electronic battery to be disposed of responsibly.
The drop-off point is officially available for the public to use now at the Phoenix Metalman site in Bond St, Invercargill.
Wastenet manages solid waste disposal and recycling for Invercargill, Gore and Southland.
Gore Deputy Mayor Keith Howell said there had been eight fires in regional landfills caused by electronic lithium batteries.
"We have responsibility and desire at the same time that the material sent to the landfill is not creating an environmental hazard or giving rise to safety issues or other risks."
A new battery collection unit that mitigated fire risks was being installed at the Phoenix Metalman site.
Phoenix Metalman product stewardship manager Jasmine Faulkner said the unit was made of steel, could contain a fire, had exchangeable fire-resistant liners and a fire suppression system that activated at 68°C.
"This battery collection unit may not look like much, but it serves a remarkable purpose to stop batteries from entering rubbish and waste stream giving people of Southland the option to recycle the batteries," she said.
The unit can be used to dispose of all types of batteries, from button cells to hybrid and electric vehicle batteries.
Battery types that can be recycled with Phoenix Metalman included lead acid, alkaline zinc household batteries, lithium, nickel metal hydride and nickel-cadmium batteries.
Batteries that weigh up to 20kg will be free to dispose of and the cost covered by Wastenet while anything more than 20kg will carry a charge.
Lithium batteries are now banned in the waste stream to landfill, due to the fire hazard.
As well as the drop-off point, WasteNet has also entered into an agreement with Mitre 10 Mega for the disposal of household batteries at the Invercargill, Te Anau, Winton and Gore stores.
