Battery recycling

Battery recycling is important: batteries contain hazardous materials and should not be thrown away with normal waste.

Recycling of both single-use and rechargeable batteries arenavailable once they have reached the end of their useful life.

Some local authorities offer the facilities for recycling your used battery at their local civic amenity sites. Click here to find your nearest civic amenity site.

Around 600 million household batteries are thrown away each year. Of this figure, only around one million are sent for recycling - the rest go into landfill.

Reducing your battery waste

As well as recycling used batteries, it makes sense to reduce how many batteries you use.

A recharable battery is a great way to reduce the amount you use. Although they cost more to buy and have a shorter charge than a single-use battery, they can be recharged between 1,000-1,300 times before coming to the end of their useful life.

That's the equivalent of around 800 single use batteries, representing a significant cost saving as well as a significant reduction in waste.

There are a few sites on the internet that give instructions on how to recharge non-rechargeable batteries. A word of caution on these: charging up non-rechargeable batteries is highly dangerous: they can heat up rapidly and explode, and the hazardous chemicals inside the battery can cause serious skin burns and blindness. Never recharge a non-rechargeable battery. The risks are not worth taking.

Alternatives to battery powered equipment

Another way to save on battery usage is to buy a product which uses renewable energy - such as a wind up torch, a clockwork radio or solar charged lighting.

The convenience of never having to worry about batteries can make these products extremely user friendly.

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