News

Battery recycling made easy!

22 August

They may be small, but recycling batteries is a big deal!

Used batteries may take up a small space in your bin, but altogether 660 million (22,000 tonnes, the equivalent of 110 Jumbo jets) are sent to landfill every year. They also have a large impact on the environment; batteries contain a number of heavy metals and toxic chemicals and landfilling them has raised concern over the risks of soil contamination and water pollution.

Since February 2010, shops selling more than 32kg of batteries a year (which works out as approximately one four-pack of AA batteries a day) are required to provide battery recycling collection facilities in-store.

That means that many of your local shops, especially supermarkets and electrical stores, will have a battery recycling box – they can be small and tucked away, so don’t be afraid to ask a member of staff. So, it’s easy to collect your old batteries in a small container or bag at home, then take them out shopping!

To make it even easier, your local councils have placed several new battery recycling boxes in handy locations, including libraries, community centres and town halls. Find out where they are in:

Barking and Dagenham
Havering
Newham
Redbridge

Reduce your battery use!

• Use rechargeable batteries wherever possible - you can even buy a solar powered recharger!
• Plug electrical equipment into the mains electricity rather than using the battery option
• Try to buy appliances that use renewable energy: a wind-up radio or torch, dynamo bicycle lights or a solar powered calculator