Lismore City Council says Lismore households recently threw away an estimated $670,000 by placing eligible drink containers in their kerbside bins instead of claiming their refund, while almost half the contents of red-lid general waste bins could have been recycled or composted.

Incorrectly disposed-of batteries were likely to blame for three garbage truck loads catching fire in the Tweed Shire in the past six weeks, council staff said last week.

The thought of power from the sun is an exciting prospect for many home owners for both the environmental and financial benefits.

State fire authorities have issued a reminder about the risks of lithium-ion batteries, which they say is one of the fastest growing fire risks in NSW.

Ballina Shire Council is urging residents not to put hazardous materials in any kerbside bin, following a fire at the Resource Recovery Centre last weekend.

Industry-led voluntary schemes will fail to address the environmental risks arising from battery disposal, according to the Total Environment Centre, as they release a plan for urgent regulation to establish an effective, mandatory product stewardship scheme to safely collect and recycle all battery types in Australia.

Tweed Council says that everyday actions like recycling help to protect the area's internationally significant environment for future generations.

Low-emissions technology and renewable energy are the way out of the current energy crisis, according to the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.

As the renewables revolution has accelerated, e-waste problems with solar panels and batteries have emerged. A new round of grants from the NSW EPA aims to prevent these items going to landfill.