It is estimated that in the UK only 5% of all household batteries are recycled. This means that the majority of used household batteries are sent to landfill to be disposed of, which in turn can have a negative effect on our environment due to the harmful chemicals they can leak into the soil.

Types of Household Batteries You Can Recycle

Within households throughout the country there are large numbers of items that require power from batteries. Here are some examples of items whose batteries can be recycled:

• Mobile phone
• Laptop
• Electric shaver
• Remote controls
• Alarm clocks
• Cordless power tools

Where Can I recycle Batteries?

The majority of the supermarkets and shops that sell batteries have collection bins for used batteries to be collected for recycling. Collection points are also set up in some but not all town halls, libraries and schools. Collection points can be located by keeping your eye out for the ‘be positive – recycle your batteries here’ sign in shops and supermarkets.

A small majority of councils throughout the UK provide doorstep battery collections. Those that dont will more than likely provide battery recycling bins at a local recycling centre. To find out more information about recycling in your area please visit:

http://local.direct.gov.uk

Why Should We Recycle Batteries?

Some of the batteries we use within our homes conatain harmful chemicals such as lead, cadmium or mercury. If we dont recycle our used household batteries, they will more than likely be taken to landfill in order to be disposed of. When buried in a landfill site, batteries will begin to break down and release the harmful chemicals that can be found within them. These chemicals can leak into the soil and potentially cause soil and water pollution, which may be a health risk to humans.

Recycling our batteries can reduce this negative environmental impact. By recycling the material properties of a battery, we can also reduce our reliance on extracting new raw materials in order to generate virgin material batteries. This in turn reduces the amounts of CO² emissions released into the atmosphere and helps to combat the uncertainties climate change.

To find out more information about recycling batteries, please visit the following DEFRA website: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/producer/batteries/