Top Takeaways
>> Batteries can’t be recycled from your local household curbside collection.
>> Instead batteries must be taken to a battery collection point to be recycled.
>> Recycling points for batteries can be found in supermarkets, recycling centres, schools, libraries and town halls. Keep your used batteries in a tub or bag and recycling them all at once when there’s enough to make it worthwhile.
Have you got a few batteries lying around the house that need recycling?
Yes, me too!
I’ve had a tub full of batteries waiting to be recycled. I’ve been collecting spent batteries for quite a while, knowing that it’s not very responsible to just chuck them into the general waste bin. This is because batteries contain potentially harmful ingredients for the environment.
Thankfully, I got round to recycling all of my batteries recently. This blog is here to inform you on the best ways to recycle your batteries.
How to recycle batteries?
Batteries can’t be recycled from your local household curbside collection. This makes it a little more difficult to recycle them.
Instead of throwing them in with your general waste, it’s best to collect them together and take them to a designated battery recycling collection point.
Although not as convenient as household recycling, battery recycling points are found in common places to make it as easier as possible.
You’ll find battery collection points in:
- Supermarkets
- Recycling centres
- Electrical shops
- Schools
- Libraries
- Town halls
It’s important to note that the collection points in supermarkets and schools are usually only for your standard AAs and AAAs. If you have different types of batteries, it’s likely you’ll have to go to a larger recycling centre.
I took my tub of AA and AAA batteries to my local recycling centre. I had other bigger items I wanted to recycle too, so did them all in one trip.
My top tip is to make sure to use a separate bag or empty tub to store your used batteries until you can take them to your local recycling point.
The best course of action is to head over to an online recycling locator, type in your postcode, and find the most convenient option for your recycling needs!
You can read more about recycling materials on our recycling hub page.
Why shouldn’t you throw away batteries?
Batteries are classed as both hazardous waste and e-waste. This goes for single-use and rechargeable batteries, meaning they shouldn’t be thrown away in your general waste bin.
The heavy metal content of batteries, which often includes manganese, zinc, copper, lithium and lead, makes them the worst candidate for the landfill.
Heavy metal contamination is associated with not only persistent soil degradation but also with increased pollution as these metals can impact the biodegradability of organic pollutants.
In addition to that, when batteries begin to break down in the landfill, leakage can impact the health of workers and contribute to waterway pollution.
Recycling batteries by type
So, here’s how to recycle batteries in the UK, according to their type:
Alkaline batteries
Both alkaline and lithium batteries are classified as regular household batteries. The good news is that you’ll be able to recycle them at your local supermarket, electrical shop or collection point.
The cadmium and zinc recovered through recycling will be used to create new batteries and even more sustainable materials such as ceramics and glass.
Lithium-ion batteries
Although rechargeable, lithium-ion batteries will eventually stop working.
You can recycle lithium-ion batteries by bringing them to your local battery recycling point. It’s important to make sure to tape up both the positive and negative terminal to reduce the risk of fire!
Also, you should keep in mind that battery recycling bins cannot accept waste electrical devices that have batteries as part of the device. So if you’re trying to recycle a smartphone with lithium-ion batteries you’ll have to head over to a general e-waste recycling point instead.
Batteries for electric vehicles
Electric vehicles like mobility scooters, e-scooters, electric bikes, and electric cars also rely on rechargeable batteries. In 99% of cases, they will feature lithium-ion batteries.
In the case of electric scooters and bikes, you’ll want to take off the battery and recycle it separately through local recycling points.
Or if you can’t get the battery out, you can contact a specialised service like Fenix Battery Recycling to take care of the whole process for you. It’s possible that e-bike and electric scooter companies may offer a takeback scheme for their lithium-ion batteries too. This should be true for battery storage systems linked up to solar panels.
But when it comes to cars, it’s a little more complex. Electric car manufacturers are currently working on making recycling schemes more accessible, but there’s still a long way to go.
Related reads
