Battery recycling
Recycle used batteries safely and easily
Recharge the future: Battery waste and recycling
Did you know each year in the UK we throw away around 600 million batteries? Laid end-to-end these batteries would reach from the UK to Australia and back again. That is a lot of batteries!
Batteries play a huge part in our everyday lives and can be found in every room in the house. They are used in electrical and electronic items, such as, remote controls, mobile phones, toys, clocks and even doorbells. In fact, every person in Britain uses around 10 batteries a year.
Where to recycle batteries near me…
Why battery recycling matters
Thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions can be avoided if the UK increases battery recycling.
In 2024, around 42,000 tonnes of portable batteries were sold in the UK, with only around 18,700 tonnes being recycled.
Most batteries are thrown away in household rubbish bins, which means they are collected at kerbside and dumped at landfill sites. There are many different types of batteries, all of which contain dangerous chemicals, including lead, cadmium, zinc, lithium and even mercury.
If we fail to correctly dispose of our waste batteries, the metal within them takes over 100 years to perish and breakdown and the chemicals contained within the batteries will never breakdown and are extremely toxic to the environment. They leak into the ground, which can cause soil and water pollution, damaging our ecosystems and wildlife
Recycling any type of used battery is a great way to help protect the environment. Each battery placed in a recycling bin will be safely taken apart and the materials will be used to make something new.
Effortlessly recycle your used batteries anywhere, anytime
Whether you choose to recycle them from home or while on the go, it’s an easy and impactful way to contribute to environmental transformation.
Recycling batteries when out and about
Taking used batteries to recycling points has never been easier. Since producer responsibility legislation for waste batteries came into force in February 2010, most shops and supermarkets now have in-store collection points, along with schools, libraries, garden centres and tourist attractions. All you must do is remember to take them with you and look out for designated bins or containers specifically labelled for battery recycling.
Alternatively, you can find all local battery recycling facilities by using our recycling locator tool. Here they will have designated areas for battery recycling.
Recycling your batteries at home
Battery waste may be accepted for collection as part of your local authority’s household kerbside collection scheme; however, this may not always the case. We advise you to check by visiting your local authority’s website first.
Whether you recycle your used batteries from home or take them to your nearest collection point, battery recycling bins cannot accept waste electrical devices where the battery is part of the device, no matter how small.
This includes items such as e-cigarettes, mobile phones, laptops, and calculators. These should be disposed of as waste electronics
If you have lithium (identified by an “Li” in any part of the chemical marking) or button cell batteries to dispose of, the terminals should be taped up to help prevent them shorting and being a fire risk.
How to recycle used batteries in the UK
Used batteries can be recycled by placing them into collection containers that can be found at many retail outlets and other public buildings across the UK.
There are different ways of recycling batteries
However, the aim is always the same, to recover the raw material used to make the battery, so that it can be used again to make something new.
Any batteries used at home can be recycled. Once collected they are then taken to a sorting facility.
Batteries are made from many different chemistries such as lithium-ion (used in laptop batteries), zinc (used in AA batteries) or nickel cadmium (used in power tool batteries). Sorting batteries before recycling helps them to be shredded and processed separately. Meaning more of the original material can be recovered to make new products.
Check out Wastebuster’s video for more information on the sorting and recycling process of household batteries.
If your business or organisation would like to start collecting batteries, we will provide you with one of our FREE battery collection boxes.