As Christmas 2022 approaches, the Warwickshire County Council Waste and Recycling Service is reminding residents how to safely dispose of used batteries.
For most of us, used batteries are as much part of Christmas as turkey and sprouts. with the UK going through over 189 million of them over the festive season (based on a OnePoll Study by GP Batteries). Despite the huge number that will be used, many residents may not realise that batteries carry significant fire risks if they aren’t disposed of safely.
Unlike many other household items, batteries should not be placed in either your waste or recycling bin at home. However, according to research carried out by Material Focus, about a quarter of people are still placing batteries in their black (refuse) or Blue (Recycling) bins and this can have explosive consequences.
Between April 2019 and March 2020, lithium-ion batteries alone were thought to be responsible for more than 250 fires at waste sites across the UK, representing around 40% of all fires at such sites. The issue is that batteries in refuse or recycling waste are easily damaged by sorting equipment and when this happens, they will begin to burn until they eventually explode.
What should residents do?
To ensure this problem does not occur in Warwickshire, residents are encouraged to, firstly, opt for rechargeable batteries. These are far better for the environment as they take much longer, often years, to become part of waste streams.
For residents who have non-rechargeable batteries (or rechargeable batteries that are no longer holding charge) to be disposed of, these should be taken to the following locations:
- Your local Household Waste Recycling Centre who all have a special section for used batteries; or
- Most large supermarkets and some large shops have special bins by the checkouts and/or entrances and exits where batteries can be disposed of safely.
Councillor Heather Timms, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate & Culture said: “It’s really important that our residents think very carefully about how they dispose of batteries all year round and particularly at Christmas when so many are used in a range of toys and gadgets. Something as tiny as a battery can lead to a great deal of damage and disruption to waste processing services when they are disposed of incorrectly.
“For our environmentally conscious residents who are thinking about making Christmas 2022 as sustainable as possible, why not make the switch from disposable to rechargeable battery technology? It’s the little decisions that we make that can make a big difference to our environment as we strive for a Warwickshire that is sustainable now and for future generations.”
Find out more about having a sustainable Christmas in 2022 here: https://www.warwickshireclimateemergency.org.uk/news/article/84/have-yourself-a-sustainable-little-christmas-in-2022
Find out more about household waste recycling in Warwickshire, here: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/waste-recycling
The Council is currently engaging with residents around the draft Sustainable Futures Strategy. Anyone can find out more and have their stay here: https://ask.warwickshire.gov.uk/insights-service/sustainable-futures-strategy/
Residents can follow Warwickshire Recycles on social media for daily tips on recycling:
- On Twitter – https://twitter.com/Warksrecycles
- On Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/warwickshirerecycles
For more information about how Warwickshire County Council is facing the challenges of the climate change emergency, visit: https://www.warwickshireclimateemergency.org.uk/
Get the latest news about how Warwickshire County Council and partners are facing the challenge of the climate emergency and how you can get involved: http://eepurl.com/hrk-zf