As Christmas 2023 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.
Unlike many other household items, batteries should not be placed in either your waste or recycling bin at home, but people are still placing them in their black (refuse) or blue (recycling) bins and this can have explosive consequences.
Lithium-ion batteries have been responsible for fires at waste sites across the UK. 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 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 2023 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 green Christmas in 2023 here: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article/4854/dreaming-of-a-green-christmas-celebrate-the-season-sustainably-with-these-top-tips
The Council recently launched a pledge campaign to ask residents to commit to making small lifestyle changes for the environment: https://www.warwickshireclimateemergency.org.uk/greenpledges
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