How to Safely Dispose of Batteries
Yorkshire Metal Recycling put the ease into recycling batteries. Whether you live in Doncaster, Goole, Selby, Wakefield and Rotherham, we can safely dispose of your old, damaged and faulty batteries. Simply drop them off at our location or get in touch.
Why do you need to recycle batteries
Batteries contain dangerous chemicals like lead, zinc, lithium and mercury that leak into the ground when left in a landfill site. This causes soil and water pollution which contaminates the health of animals, humans and the planet.
Where to recycle batteries
Any shop that sells more than 32kg of batteries a year has to provide battery recycling drop off points in store. You will usually find these in large supermarkets and DIY shops. You can also take them to a local recycling centre or scrap metal facility.
Battery recycling guidance:
- Battery waste recycling bins cannot accept electrical devices where the battery is integrated into the system.
- Do not put batteries in your general waste bin
- Check that your local council accepts general purpose batteries before recycling them from home
Which types of batteries can be recycled?
- All household batteries including button batteries
- Battery packs from electrical devices like laptops, mobile phone and remote controls
- Car batteries, but only at designated collection points
Which parts of batteries are recyclable?
Some of the recyclable materials in the batteries include lithium-ion, nickel-cadmium, nickel-zinc, and nickel-metal hydride.
What happens to batteries at recycling centres?
Batteries that are no longer usable are separated into categories by chemistry type.
- Lead batteries are crushed to release the sulphuric acid, plastic and metal. The lead is recovered and used to make new batteries.
- General purpose batteries are treated differently. Although the method differs, each recyclable battery has its components separated so that they can be repurposed.
