BATTERY
RECYCLING

You can drop off all types of batteries, including lead acid, Lithium, Alkaline, Nickel Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydride Hybrid and Nickel Metal Hydride dry cell batteries at all our locations nationwide. If you're outside these locations and need to know where to recycle your batteries, please contact our friendly team using the details provided above or check out our battery recycling location map.

We pay for lead acid batteries and nickel metal hydride hybrid batteries but currently charge for recycling other battery types based on their chemistry and weight. We accept nickel metal hydride dry cell batteries for free. Lithium batteries can be accepted at all our branches for a fee with the exception of Invercargill where the public (not businesses) can drop off household batteries under 5kgs for free due to an arrangement with Invercargill City Council. If you bring in metal for recycling at the same time, it can help offset the battery recycling fee.

This page lists the batteries we recycle. We also accept EV car and hybrid batteries along with energy storage batteries. If you have any questions about the batteries we collect, contact our team today.

Please contact our team to discuss solutions for all damaged battery types.

Ensure batteries, including coin/ button batteries, are taped or individually bagged prior to storing. Household Sellotape is fine for taping. Do not store batteries with flammable or conductive materials like metal, paper clips, staples, etc.

Separating batteries by chemistry is not necessary. However, batteries should be individually packaged to prevent short-circuiting. This can be done using the original retail packaging, an individual plastic bag, or by taping over exposed terminals. For small batteries, such as AA or AAA batteries, up to 10 batteries can be safely placed together in a single bag. Zip-lock bags are ideal for this purpose, and our end users recycle these soft plastic bags. For button batteries, it is always recommended to tape them front-to-back to prevent contact between the terminals and reduce the risk of short-circuiting.

You can phone or email our Battery team with any enquiries:

Phone: 0800 BATREC (0800 228 732)
Email: battery@pmrnz.co.nz

Once Phoenix takes custody of the batteries, they are sorted by chemistry and sub-chemistry, packaged in accordance with the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, and shipped under the appropriate hazardous waste permits to our approved international recycling partners. At these facilities, the batteries are processed to recover valuable metals and other materials for reuse, reducing the need for virgin raw materials and keeping these resources in circulation.

For example:

• Alkaline batteries: Zinc and manganese are recovered as valuable by-products and sold as tradable commodities for further refining and reuse, including in the manufacture of new batteries.

• Lithium batteries: Black mass is processed further to recover valuable metals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt and manganese, which can be refined into materials for reuse, including in new battery production.

• Nickel batteries: Recovered nickel can be refined into raw materials for applications such as stainless steel production.

• Ni-Cd batteries: Recovered cadmium can be used in the manufacture of new Ni-Cd batteries and for plating applications. 

Phoenix's Hazardous Waste Permits for battery waste can be verified through New Zealand EPA's hazardous waste permits register.

Through this comprehensive work, Phoenix Recycling Group is dedicated to establishing an onshore lithium battery recycling facility and helping address one of New Zealand's fastest-growing hazardous waste challenges. Read more about this here.

Every battery you recycle with Phoenix helps bring New Zealand one step closer to a local, sustainable solution.

When it comes to battery recycling, you should have confidence that your batteries are being handled safely, legally and responsibly, and that they are actually being recycled! Phoenix Recycling Group provides full transparency around our battery recycling pathway.  We hold the required hazardous waste permissions and have an authorised quota to ship up to 3,000MT of Other Waste Batteries for recycling. Our permits can be independently verified through the New Zealand EPA. 

If you are currently using another battery recycling provider, we encourage you to ask the following questions: 

• Are they authorised to ship Mixed Waste Batteries for recycling?

• Can their permits and approvals be independently verified through the EPA?

• Can they demonstrate where each battery chemistry is being sent for recycling?

• Can they provide evidence of their authorised downstream recycling partners? 

These checks are particularly important where batteries are being collected, stored or consolidated for extended periods. Stockpiling batteries is not recycling. 

Phoenix has established recycling pathways for all battery chemistries, including Alkaline, Lithium-Ion, Lithium Primary, Nickel-Cadmium and Nickel-Metal Hydride. 

For large organisations requiring additional assurance, we are happy to enter an NDA and provide supporting facility and downstream documentation detailing how each chemistry is processed and where the recovered materials go. 

Don't just take our word for it. Verify it! Choose a recycling partner that can demonstrate the permits, processes and authorised downstream pathways to properly manage your batteries from collection through to final recycling.

Yes, we can accept E-Waste items. You can find out more about our e-waste recycling here.