What to do with
Batteries
How to recycle batteries
Some councils collect batteries as part of their household collection service but in most areas you will need to take them to a recycling centre or a collection point in a supermarket, a DIY centre or even your local shop.
Which types of batteries can be recycled?
- All household batteries including 'button' batteries from watches.
- Battery packs from laptops, mobile phones, power tools and remote control units.
- Car batteries should be recycled at designated collection points.
What else can I do?
- Use rechargeable batteries wherever possible or plug electrical equipment into the mains electricity
- Try to buy appliances that use renewable energy - a wind-up radio or torch, dynamo bicycle lights or a solar powered calculator.
From February 2010, shops selling more than 32kg of batteries a year (approx 345 x four-packs of AA batteries) have to provide battery recycling collection facilities in-store. This means there are now lots more places where you can take your old batteries for recycling.
Did you know?