Why safe battery recycling matters
In 2023, more than 1.6 billion batteries were thrown away in the UK, that's over 3,000 every minute. Over 1.1 billion of these were electrical items containing hidden lithium-ion batteries, such as phones, tablets, and power tools.
This sharp rise in portable electrical items containing lithium-ion batteries brings a serious fire risk if they end up in household bins instead of being recycled. When damaged or crushed during waste collection, these batteries can ignite or even explode. This can cause fires in bin lorries and waste sites. They can also cause injury to personnel, cost councils unnecessary expenditure in terms of replacement vehicles and lead to service disruption.
Watch this video to see what happens when batteries are disposed of in household waste.
Please watch in YouTube for more accessibility options. - opens in a new tab
Latest figures (from Material Focus) show that battery fires in UK bin lorries and waste sites have reached a record high, with more than 1,200 incidents in the past year. This represents a 71% increase from the 700 fires reported in 2022.
Millions of everyday products now contain lithium-ion batteries, including:
- E-cigarettes
- Electric toothbrushes
- Laptops
- Mobile phones
- Power tools
- Scooters
- Shavers
- Tablets
Please recycle batteries and electricals responsibly. Never put them in your household rubbish or mixed recycling. Use local recycling points or council-approved collection services.
You can recycle all battery types for free at convenient locations across Cambridgeshire:
- Household Recycling Centres
- Supermarkets and DIY stores (shops that sell batteries should also accept old batteries)
- Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council accept batteries if put in clear plastic bags on top of the bin lids. Please visit the Cambridge City Council website or the South Cambridgeshire District Council website for further details.
Use the postcode finder to find battery recycling points near you.
