Innsbruck launches battery and hazardous waste collection drive

Innsbruck’s municipal utilities will collect hazardous waste across the city from October 12 to 17, warning that batteries thrown into household rubbish can cause fires, ORF reports.

The Innsbruck Municipal Utilities (IKB) advise residents to store used batteries safely at home, for example in a box or an empty jam jar, and take them to a collection point. They should never go in general waste, said IKB representative Johannes Wildner.

Batteries can be damaged when waste is compressed in rubbish trucks, potentially starting fires in the vehicles or at sorting facilities. A major fire near Lienz in 2025 was caused by a battery that had been disposed of improperly.

Waste management companies across Austria record up to six fire incidents a day, with incorrectly discarded lithium batteries a frequent cause. The fires pose safety risks and can destroy valuable raw materials.

Innsbruck collects about 200 tonnes of hazardous waste each year. Around 20 tonnes are handed in during the municipal utilities’ mobile collection drives.