We currently collect waste household batteries from the following sites:
- Customer service centre, Mandela House, Regent Street (to the left of the reception desk)
- Waitrose, Hauxton Road, Trumpington (in the entrance foyer)
Look for the green battery-shaped bins with a pink battery logo.
We can recycle the following batteries:
- all AAA and AA
- sizes C and D
- button batteries, eg watch batteries
- mobile phone batteries
- laptop batteries
- rechargeable batteries
Cambridgeshire County Council provides battery collections at all Household Waste Recycling Centres. The closest ones to Cambridge are:
- Butt Lane, Milton
- Gravel Pit Hill, Thriplow
Sainsbury's also has its own household battery recycling scheme. Freepost envelopes for batteries can be picked up in-store at the checkouts.
Why recycle household batteries?
In the UK we throw away over 600 million batteries every year. While we recycle over 90% of our lead acid batteries - those used in vehicles - we only recycle 4% of the non-lead acid batteries that we waste in the UK.
This means that of about 25,000 tonnes of waste household and industrial batteries generated in the UK each year, just 1,000 tonnes is recycled.
Most batteries contain heavy metals, which are the main cause for environmental concern. When disposed of incorrectly, these heavy metals may leak into the ground when the battery casing corrodes. This can contribute to soil and water pollution and endanger wildlife.
What happens to the batteries
The batteries are collected by G&P Batteries Ltd and taken to a sorting plant in the UK. The batteries are sorted into batches based on their chemical content. After sorting, the batteries are reprocessed to produce other products including new batteries.
Tips to reduce battery waste
- Use mains-powered appliances or a mains adaptor wherever possible
- Use rechargeable batteries, and ideally a solar-powered charger - these are now available from as little as £25
For more information about battery recycling, see the factsheet at Waste Online