Today we’re giving you the power to supercharge your kerbside recycling by NOT including one sparky item – batteries. 
Did you know that each year in the UK we throw away around 600 million batteries? Laid end-to-end these batteries would reach from the UK to Australia and back again. They come in all shapes and sizes, from the trusty AAA to ones large enough to power a car and they’re used in everything- watches, TV remotes, kid’s toys, smoke alarms and mobile phones to name just a few. They’re also the biggest cause of fires within the waste industry.
Earlier this year fire crew were called to one of our recycling collection lorries after a loader spotted smoke coming from the truck. The culprit – a laptop battery that had leaked after being compacted and crushed in the back of the lorry. Luckily the crew saw the smoke before the fire could escalate, but it could have been much much worse.
Even if a battery is flat, it is still dangerous if not disposed of properly. Smaller ones can split open, short out and smoulder within the recycling pile, while the bigger ones can contain acid which, if split, cause problems to the machinery and more importantly, our operative’s health. There are also issues around soil and water contamination linked to the metals and acids that batteries are made from getting into the ground.
Batteries also can’t be thrown away in your general waste, but with the average Brit using upwards of 10 a year each, just how can you dispose of them?
Fear not, there is an answer (and it isn’t “putting them in that random draw in your house”):
- Recycle – Batteries can be recycled, but need to be taken to Chelson Meadow Recycle Centre where they will be processed correctly
- Take it back – For the last decade any shop selling more than 32kg of batteries a year (approx. 345 x four pack of AA batteries) has to provide a battery recycling collection point in store. This means lots more places where you can take your old batteries for recycling if you’re unable to make it to Chelson Meadow, including supermarkets and DIY shops.
- Switch – Try to buy items that use renewable energy, such as a wind-up radio or torch, dynamo bicycle lights or a solar powered calculator
- Recharge – Swap your disposable batteries for rechargeable ones
You can find your nearest battery recycling centre on the Recycle Now website: www.recyclenow.com/what-to-do-with/batteries-1