As Christmas 2025 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 millions of them over the festive season. 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.
Batteries should never be placed in your household waste or recycling bin because they pose a serious fire risk, having caused several fires at waste sites across Warwickshire. In the UK, last year, there were 1200 fires recorded in bins and waste centres because of discarded batteries, a 71% increase on the previous year.
When batteries end up in waste or recycling streams, they can be easily damaged by sorting equipment. Once damaged, they can overheat, ignite, and even explode, creating dangerous situations for waste management facilities and workers.
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, which has 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 Darren Cheshire, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate & Culture said: “It’s 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 if they are disposed of incorrectly.”
Find out more about having a sustainable Christmas in 2025 here: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article/7254/say-no-to-a-wasteful-christmas-your-top-tips-for-a-sustainable-season
Residents can follow Warwickshire Recycles on social media for daily tips on recycling:
- On Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/warwickshire_recycles/
- On Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/warwickshirerecycles
For more information about how Warwickshire County Council is working to create a sustainable future, visit: https://www.sustainablewarwickshire.co.uk/
To get the latest news about how Warwickshire County Council and partners are rising to the challenges of sustainability, subscribe to the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hrk-zf