Australian waste management company, Cleanaway, has teamed up with agency alt/shift to launch a new campaign addressing the issue of battery-related fires.

The campaign, titled 'A Throwaway Decision', uses storytelling to convey the message that batteries should not be disposed of in household bins. The content follows the journey of a toy robot, demonstrating how incorrect battery disposal can lead to fires. The industry-wide issue of incorrect battery disposal results in up to three fires per day.

“We’ve chosen to start with the impact moment of a fire and lead up to the small, throwaway decision that led to such an aftermath," Group creative director at alt/shift, Anna Fullerton, said. "As the story unravels, we see a child’s battery-operated robot is the mainstay in our content, juxtaposing the innocence of a toy with something so dangerous.”

The campaign coincides with the release of Cleanaway's annual Recycling Behaviours Report, which found 45% of Australians don't know where to dispose of batteries and a third are unaware that fires can start as a result of incorrect disposal.

National marketing manager at Cleanaway, Jacquelyn Whelan, commented there is an alarming rate of battery-related fires occurring.

"It’s integral for us to deliver a message that educates people on the potential consequences of incorrectly disposing of batteries. We all have a role to play in helping prevent fires and the solution is really simple - keep batteries and rechargeable devices out of our bins," she said.

This is the fourth year that alt/shift has produced the Recycling Behaviours Report with Cleanaway.