Recycle your batteries at Tesco

Want to know how to recycle your old batteries? Tesco’s new battery recycling points mean it’s even easier to get recycling. Read on to find out more…

Currently, the UK recycles less than three per cent of portable batteries, with more than 30,000 tonnes of batteries being discarded every year.

In February 2010, a new European Directive came into force, which means that retailers, including Tesco, must provide collection containers for customers to return used portable batteries. The EU Directive states that 25 per cent of all batteries placed on the market must be recycled by 2012, rising to 45 per cent by 2016.

Batteries can contain hazardous substances such as mercury, lead and cadmium. So along with the obvious benefits of recycling waste batteries, thousands of tonnes of valuable metals, such as nickel, cobalt and silver, could be recovered too.

Tesco has joined the BatteryBack compliance scheme and will be rolling out battery recycling points at all Express, Metro, Superstore and Extra stores – and is aiming to collect over 100 tonnes in the first year.

After you’ve recycled your batteries, find out where they go at the BatteryBack website.

What batteries to recycle?

You can recycle all household batteries at Tesco battery recycling points. These include AAA cells, mobile phone batteries and button cells (used in hearing aids and watches).

Any type of household batteries can be accepted at battery recycling points – typically from 1.5 to 9 volts, including all types of sealed batteries from AAAs through to laptop types. Other products that use portable batteries include cameras, laptops, cordless power tools, toys and household appliances such as electric toothbrushes, razors and hand-held vacuum cleaners.