The careless disposal of an emergency beacon at a garbage tip has sparked an unnecessary nationally coordinated search across northern Tasmania.

The search began after a number of aircraft flying over the state's north picked up a signal from an activated beacon, known as an EPIRB.

A tracking aircraft from Victoria and the Tasmanian police rescue helicopter spent hours searching for the emergency beacon and finally tracked it to the tip at Deloraine on Sunday morning.

Police ground crews used special equipment to find the EPIRB, which had been thrown into the rubbish and inadvertently activated.

Senior Sergeant Mike Gillies of the Northern Police Search and Rescue said a number of valuable local and national search and rescue resources were put at unnecessary risk because of the careless disposal.

He said emergency beacons must be deactivated by staff at a battery shop before they could be thrown out.