Recycle your battery with RACQ
Did you know you can recycle your automotive, marine, and deep cycle batteries at no cost with RACQ? Recycling your batteries is a small way you can make a big difference to Queensland's beautiful natural environment by saving them from landfill, where they corrode over time and leak highly toxic fluid.
156,950 car batteries
Collected by our roadside operations in
FY 2023
86% materials recycled
From the car batteries collected in FY 2023
$0 recycling fee
We’ll recycle your old battery at no cost to you.
140 locations
Drop your battery off at one of 140 locations across Queensland.
What types of batteries can be recycled?
At RACQ, we accept a wide range of batteries, including:
- Batteries from cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, golf buggies and mobility scooters, boats and jet skis
- Automotive lithium batteries (excluding electric vehicle traction batteries)
- Deep cycle batteries
Not sure if your battery can be recycled? Call your nearest RACQ Battery stockist to find out.
How are batteries recycled?
Recycling batteries uses very specialised equipment and technical knowledge, and the process varies depending on the type of battery being recycled. The basic steps for recycling lead batteries (the most common batteries) are, however, straightforward.
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The batteries are broken into pieces and placed in a vat, where the metal materials sink, the plastic floats, and the liquids are drawn off.
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The plastic pieces are rinsed and sent to a plastic recycling facility to be melted and reused.
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The lead components are cleaned and melted in a furnace. This molten lead is then poured into ingots, which are used to create new batteries.
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The battery acid is either neutralised and turned into water, or processed and turned into sodium sulphate, a chemical that is used in a range of industries.
Where to recycle RACQ Batteries
