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    Woolworths Battery & Mobile Phone Recycling Unit

    E-waste is one of Australia’s fastest-growing waste streams. 6.83 million phones are used every year but 88% are not recycled and it is estimated that there are 22 million unused mobile phones being stored in homes around Australia.

    As a responsible retailer, Woolworths has partnered with Ecobatt to offer a household battery and mobile phone take-back scheme. Recycling Units are available in all Woolworths Supermarkets across Australia. Join us to keep batteries and hazardous e-waste out of landfill.

    How to use the Woolworths Battery & Mobile Phone Recycling Unit

    This is a free service and easy to use. Simply drop off your batteries, mobile phones and accessories into the branded Recycling Unit located at the front of the store. You can place the following items in the Recycling Unit:

    1. All handheld batteries regardless of type or brand, including button batteries, AAA, AA, A, C, D and 9V.
    2. All brands of mobile phones, their batteries, chargers and accessories.
    3. Mobile wireless modems.
    4. Wearable technology such as smartwatches and fitness trackers.
    Woolworths Battery and Recycling Unit

    Frequently asked questions

    Have a question? Let us help you out below.

    1. All handheld batteries regardless of type or brand. This includes button batteries, AAA, AA, A, C, D and 9V.
    2. All makes and models of mobile phones, their batteries, chargers and accessories.
    3. Mobile wireless modems.
    4. Wearable technology such as smart watches and fitness trackers.

    Batteries, mobile phones and accessories contain valuable materials (for example, Mercury, Lead, Aluminium, Silver and Copper) that can be extracted and re-used.

    The batteries, mobile phones and accessories are collected by our specialist recycling partner EcoCycle, sorted and taken to recycling plants to recycle.
    EcoBatt recycles over 95% of materials from all batteries. The remaining 5% of battery casings are not reusable as of yet.

    EcoBatt recovers over 94% of the materials in mobile phones and accessories which are then used in the product of new products

    Recycling Units are available in all Woolworths Supermarkets.

    No. This service is free of charge.

    Before placing a mobile phone in the Recycling Unit, ensure all information and data is deleted.
    Any information (including data, contacts, messages, photos etc) left on the device will be destroyed through the recycling process.

    Before recycling your mobile phone, please ensure you remove all information.

    For mobile phones that are still working please follow the following steps to remove your data. Please remember that instructions may vary depending on your mobile phone, so for any further assistance please visit the phone manufacturer's website.

    Android

    1. Back up or transfer files and information you want to keep to a computer or online storage (e.g. the cloud or a Google account).
    2. Disconnect any external accessories connected to your phone (e.g. smartwatches or smart home units).
    3. Log out of all your accounts (including the Play Store and social media accounts).
    4. Perform a reset to erase all the data from your device by opening your phone’s settings app, selecting backup and reset and then selecting factory data reset.
    5. For any support please contact Android Support

    iOS

    1. Back up your phone to iCloud or a computer.
    2. Disconnect any Apple-paired devices that are connected to your phone.
    3. Log out of all your accounts (including iTunes and the App store). If you are switching to a non-Apple phone, you’ll need to logout of iMessage.
    4. Perform a reset. A reset will erase all settings, apps and content from your device’s internal storage.
    5. For any support please contact Apple Support.

    Remember to remove the SIM card and any external storage such as a micro SD card.

    If your phone is damaged and you’re unable to remove the data, as part of the recycling process Ecobatt will destroy any data on the device as soon as practicable.

    The above is general information intended as a guide only. Any data that has not been removed from your mobile device will be destroyed as soon as practicable as part of the recycling process. However, it is your responsibility to ensure that any personal information has been erased from your mobile device prior to drop off.

    Yes, you can return all household batteries, mobile phones and accessories regardless of where you purchased them.