Household batteries will also be collected from the kerbside. Please ensure that batteries are contained within a tied or sealed bag and tie loosely to the handle of the recycling trolley. Loose batteries present a health and safety risk to collection crews and will not be collected.
Batteries have an inherent fire risk associated with them.
It can be very hard to identify how and when a lithium-ion battery may catch fire, but there are some preventative measures to minimise the risk of lithium-ion battery fires:
- only use batteries purchased from a reputable manufacturer or supplier
- protect batteries against being damaged and do not attempt to recharge lithium-ion batteries with any signs of damage – these should be safely disposed of
- only charge batteries with the original charger supplied
- never leave batteries charging in unoccupied locations – disconnect and remove batteries from chargers after charging is complete
- avoid storing, using, or charging batteries at very high or very low temperatures and never cover chargers or charging devices
- never leave any equipment that may contain lithium-ion batteries such as mobile phones in high temperature environments, such as in direct sunlight, or a hot vehicle
- never overcharge your batteries as this is a potential case of thermal runaway
- avoid keeping lithium-ion battery products in close proximity – while keeping these products close together does not increase the risk of a fire occurring, keeping these products away from each other can reduce the risk of fire spread from one battery/battery-powered-device to another
- remember to store batteries or products using lithium-ion batteries in a cool dry place away from flammable and combustible materials
Please do not place batteries, items with internal batteries or vapes in your general rubbish bin. This will increase the risk of fires occurring when waste material is compacted either in the collection vehicle or through the waste processing sites.