Battery Recycling
Recycling batteries is the best way to get rid of any old batteries from your business in a way that helps you protect the environment and uphold your corporate responsibilities. At Business Waste, we can help you safely and securely recycle your used batteries in line with government legislations – from a one-off disposal to regular collections anywhere in the UK.
We work with businesses of all sizes to develop a collection plan that meets your needs. This involves providing free battery recycling bins of your chosen size and ensuring we keep the number of batteries stored on your premises to a minimum. Call us on 0800 211 8390 or contact us online for a fast quote and help with any questions you have about battery disposal.
Get a free quote
Get a fast FREE quote for your battery waste
- Free quote within 1 hr
- Any type of used batteries
- FREE bins and delivery
- We cover all of the UK
Battery
collection
Business Waste provides an exceptional battery collection and recycling service for companies of all sizes. We take away all types and recycle batteries where possible or dispose of them in the correct way. To make things easy, Business Waste will provide your business with a free battery collection box.
Use this to store you used batteries safely and out of the way until collection day. If you’ve got lots of batteries to recycle, we’ll even give you a few boxes. You simply pay for the collection.
We cover the entire UK, so you can arrange battery recycling near you wherever your business is located. From removal of old tractor batteries on farms out in the sticks, to disposal of laptop batteries in city centre offices, we offer waste solutions to meet your needs.
Start with a free quote for battery recycling within an hour to remove the hassle of waste management and ensure your battery waste doesn’t end up as another pollutant laying in a landfill site. Call 0800 211 83 90 to speak to one of our waste experts or contact us online for a fast response.
Battery
bins
Store your used batteries separately from the rest of your waste in a battery recycling box or bin to avoid cross-contamination. If you have different battery types, then use more than one battery bin to store them separately from each other – as they’re not recycled the same way. If you’ve got household batteries, check if your local recycling plant has a specific section dedicated to battery disposal.
Work with Business Waste and we’ll provide your company with clearly labelled battery collection boxes to make this process easy. Select a battery recycling bin size and collection frequency that meets the number, type, and size of batteries you need to get rid of.
Who needs
battery disposal?
We use batteries every day to power our operations – often without realising. From running the laptops in your office to industrial size batteries that help your warehouse or factory machinery keep moving, they’re indispensable for most businesses. However, like Usain Bolt in the 100m final, batteries eventually run out.
While pretty much every business ends up with some amount of battery waste, the key industries that often have lots of old batteries to get rid of include:
- Automotive – lithium-ion or lead acid car batteries, garage door remote.
- Airport – lead acid aircraft starter batteries, power packs.
- Catering – kitchen equipment (blenders and electric knives), mobile catering vans.
- Factory – power plant and industrial machinery.
- Retail – within products for sale, power cleaning equipment.
How does
battery waste collection work?
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Select your free bins
It’s quick and easy to organise commercial waste collection for your business.
Simply start by telling us the:
- Type of waste you need removing
- Size of bins you require
- Number of bins you want
We’ll provide you with a free quote.
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Arrange delivery
When you’re happy with the type, number, and size of free bins, tell us when you need your bins delivering.
Let us know about any access issues where you want the bins delivering – such as locked gates, access codes and times. We’ll get you up and running in no time.
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Fill up your bin
After the free bins arrive at your chosen location, fill them up with the agreed waste type.
Make sure you remain within any weight limits for the specific waste type and bin size.
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Get your business waste collected
We’ll arrange waste collection at a time and frequency to suit you and the amount of waste you have.
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What is
battery waste?
Any old batteries you can’t recharge or use again due to damage that you need to get rid of class as battery waste. This could be anything from a couple of dead AA batteries that power a TV remote to big, industrial batteries keeping your warehouse machinery running.
Many people are unaware of the complexities attached to battery usage or the harmful environmental effects they can have if they’re not disposed of correctly. As batteries contain dangerous materials and substances such as mercury, nickel, lead and more, used batteries are classed as hazardous waste.
Types of
battery waste
There are three main types of battery waste:
- Automotive batteries – Found in cars or vans and normally used either to start the engine or power the lights.
- Industrial batteries – Designed specifically for industrial use, such as to power forklift trucks or warehouse machinery. Nowadays, they’re also used to power electric or hybrid vehicles.
- Portable batteries – Sealed batteries that can easily be carried around. These are the batteries often found in your mobile phone or laptop.
Batteries can also be split into two further subsections – rechargeable and non-chargeable. Wherever possible, you should attempt to use rechargeable batteries in the workplace.
Battery waste
disposal
The easiest way to dispose of batteries from your business is to arrange delivery of battery bins to your premises. Simply fill these with your battery waste – whether it’s all the same or different types of batteries – as they’ll be sorted at the recycling plant.
Stick to the weight limits of each battery recycling bin you use to avoid any overweight charges. Then leave at the agreed accessible pickup point where we’ll collect them and take to a nearby facility to recycle the batteries. It ensures your old battery disposal is handled in a safe and efficient way.
For retailers and distributors in the UK that sell or supply at least 32kg of portable batteries every year, it’s a legal requirement that you offer free collection or takeback. This means having a collection point on your premises with a battery recycling bin that can store the likes of laptop, mobile phone, watch, electric toothbrush, and other portable batteries.
For getting rid of household battery waste – such as AA batteries – this means you can usually visit your nearest large supermarket to recycle batteries. Otherwise, check if your local authority accepts old batteries for recycling or visit your local household waste recycling centre, where there should be a battery bin.
How are
batteries recycled?
First, properly sort your old batteries by type – such as lead acid, zinc-based (alkaline batteries), nickel metal hydride and lithium-ion batteries. This is essential as it helps ensure the recycling plant can recover more of the original material to use in new products. Then arrange battery collection as frequently as you require, and we’ll do everything in our power to dispose of them safely.
After collection, batteries are taken to a recycling plant where they are given a new lease on life. The process usually involves chemical and mechanical separation, followed by smelting. The battery recycling process depends on the type of battery you recycle:
- Lead acid battery recycling – Lead acid batteries are broken apart and the sulphuric acid they contain drained. In a water bath the lead and acid separate. The lead is melted and used to create fresh batteries, while the acid converts into industrial chemicals or water.
- Alkaline battery recycling – Recycling alkaline batteries (such as AA and AAA batteries), follows the same separation process. This isolates the zinc, manganese, steel, and any other components for reuse in new products.
- Lithium-ion battery recycling – Current lithium battery recycling methods are inefficient and expensive due to their complex make-up – with only around 5% recycled. Research is ongoing to develop more effective and safer recycling methods that recover as much of the raw materials as possible.
Recycling batteries makes your commitment to sustainability clear. As a result, your company becomes instantly more attractive to potential customers. The ability to reuse these materials decreases the demand for new materials to be sourced or mined – a process that creates lots of pollution.
Battery recycling
benefits and facts
It may be tempting to throw old batteries in with general waste, but this can have serious implications on the planet. When used batteries aren’t properly recycled, it adds further strain on our landfill sites – which are already overcrowded and a key contributor to global warming. If pierced or crushed, batteries also pose a fire hazard.
As the batteries start to corrode, the pollutants inside them will leak out. This means various chemicals, such as mercury and cadmium, soak into the surrounding soil. Eventually, this will affect surface water too, contributing to water pollution. Water pollution poses a significant threat to the planet – causing the premature death of marline life, contaminating water supplies, and disrupting the food chain.
In the UK alone, we sell and use around 150,000 tonnes of batteries each year. Not all of these go to waste as they can last for years. In 2019 there were 17,386 tonnes of portable batteries (excluding automotive and industrial batteries) collected for recycling – at a recycling rate of just 44.34%.
Lead-acid batteries are the most widely used though, like the ones that power our cars. The same findings from the Environment Agency show that in 2019 1,212 tonnes of lead acid batteries were on the market and 10,746 tonnes recycled.
Read our reviews
My first time using business waste and everyone was very helpful and communicative. We used them for battery removal from site. Mark Hudson was particularly helpful. One small issue, but that was rectified by them. No real complaints, will definitely use again.Janice
Battery recycling
FAQS
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Why you should I recycle old batteries?
Batteries are a common form of business waste – from dry cell batteries that power torches, radios, and TV controllers, to powerful lithium-ion cells used in laptops, mobile phones, and cars. Commercial battery waste can cause extreme damage to the environment and pose a danger to both wildlife and people.
Electronic devices are more important and prevalent than ever in the workplace. Reliance on these devices creates a steady flow of used batteries or batteries that need replacing more often thanks to high usage.
However, the components found inside most batteries are major pollutants. Elements like mercury and cadmium can cause damage if the leak into the food chain. Thousands of new batteries enter the UK every year, but sadly lots end up in general waste bins.
Recycling batteries avoids your business contributing to landfill, which can cause pollution due to chemicals leaking out of old batteries buried underground. This helps your company have a more positive impact on the planet and uphold your corporate responsibilities.
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How do you recycle lead acid batteries?
Lead acid batteries are often used in cars. To recycle lead acid batteries, the battery is broken down and then neutralised in acid. Once neutralised, both lead and polypropylene are recovered. These materials can be used to make new lead acid batteries or to create battery casing.
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How do you recycle lithium-ion batteries?
Lithium-ion batteries are a rechargeable battery – often found in your mobile phone or laptop. The process of recycling them is a little more complicated:
- First, the lithium-ion battery is deactivated and disassembled.
- They’re then put through what is known as the ‘mechanical’ process, where the battery is crushed and sorted to allow for electrolyte recovery.
- Following this, the different metals and minerals used in the battery are extracted ready for reuse or disposal. These materials can be used to manufacture new electronics.
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How are batteries legally disposed of?
As well as taking your used batteries away, Business Waste complies fully with government legislation to ensure the correct battery disposal and handling of the dangerous elements they commonly contain. You can easily get rid of old and dangerous batteries properly with peace of mind that they’ll be recycled at our facilities and stored safely, within the strict parameters that prevent them from damaging the environment.
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What legislation and laws govern battery recycling and disposal?
Businesses must comply with various government legislations when disposing potentially dangerous elements, such as the chemicals found in batteries. These legislations are in place to protect your own safety and the environment.
The most prominent laws associated with battery disposal are the Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2008 and the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009. To follow these legislations, your business must:
- Ensure that any used or produced batteries are disposed of safely.
- If producing a product that uses batteries, the user must be able to remove the battery easily.
- The batteries used must contain less than the maximum prescribed levels of prohibited elements (mercury, cadmium, and lead).
- Batteries must display the ‘crossed-out wheeled bin’ diagram, alongside any relevant chemical symbols.
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What are the waste codes for batteries?
In accordance with UK law, you must classify your waste before it’s collected and taken to a recycling facility. Therefore, different waste items have different waste classification codes. These provide information on how hazardous the material is, or the elements that it contains. Some examples of battery waste codes include:
- Lead Batteries
Waste Code: 16 06 01
Classification: Hazardous - Mercury-based batteries
Waste code: 16 06 03
Classification: Hazardous - Alkaline batteries
Waste code: 16 06 04
Classification: Non-hazardous
- Lead Batteries
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How do you get a battery recycling bin?
It’s quick and simple to get a free battery recycling bin. Plus, one of our expert team members will arrange for used battery collections that suit your requirements and ensure a minimum number of used batteries are stored at your premises at any one time.
Contact us today, fill in our online form or call 0800 211 8390 for a fast and free quote. We’re also on hand to help with any questions or suggestions when it comes to arranging commercial battery disposal, or if you want to learn more about how we deal with used batteries.
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How do I dispose of batteries near me?
When you need old battery disposal for your business, get in touch with Business Waste for a quick and free quote. We cover all the country to offer battery disposal anywhere in the UK. If you’ve got old batteries to get rid of at home, you can find battery disposal near you at a local recycling plant.
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What happens if you touch a leaking battery?
Battery acid or leakage can seep out of old, used batteries. What happens if you touch it depends on the type of battery that’s leaking. The chemicals release may burn your skin if you touch it, while it can also contaminate soil and ruin the device it’s in.
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Can you put AA batteries in the bin in the UK?
No, you should separate AA batteries and place them in a battery recycling box just for alkaline batteries. You can then arrange collection, so they’re recycled and turned into new products. You should also not dispose of electrical items that use AA batteries. Instead, get rid of them as part of your electrical waste.
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How do you dispose of used batteries?
The easiest way to dispose of used batteries from your household is to find your nearest battery bin. Many supermarkets, electronic retailers, and other shops have battery recycling bins where you can recycle used batteries including AA and mobile phone batteries. Most housheold waste reyccling centres also accept used domestic batteries for recycling.
For used battery disposal from a business you must arrange commercial waste collection. This applies for all used batteries your organisation produces, from a handful of waste AAA batteries to many dead car batteries from a garage. Companies such as Business Waste provide free bins to store them before arranging collection and used battery disposal.
Contact us for a free quote for used battery disposal.
Get a fast battery disposal quote
Get a fast FREE quote for your battery waste removal
- Free quote within 1 hr
- Any type of old batteries
- FREE bins and delivery
- We cover all of the UK