There are different arrangements for collecting different types of battery.
Portable batteries are sealed batteries or battery packs that you can carry, including:
- primary (non-rechargeable) batteries
- secondary (rechargeable) batteries
- button cells
- batteries in household appliances.
Industrial batteries are batteries or battery packs that are:
- designed exclusively for professional or industrial uses, eg as backup and emergency supplies of electricity
- used to power machines and vehicles such as forklifts or wheelchairs
- unsealed but are not automotive batteries, or
- sealed but are not portable batteries.
Automotive batteries are those used in vehicles, such as cars, vans, lorries, buses, boats and other types of transport for starters, lighting and ignition.
Recycling portable batteries
Regulations covering collecting, recycling and reprocessing portable batteries came into force on 1 February 2010.
Members of the public can return waste batteries to any shop that sells portable batteries, except small retailers who sell less than 32 kg of batteries per year and who are not required to take back batteries.
Many local councils will have collection points for waste batteries at civic amenity sites and recycling centres for members of the public to use.
If your business uses portable batteries your supplier will operate a take back scheme unless they sell less than 32kg of batteries per year. You should check with your supplier to find out their arrangements for the collection of waste portable batteries.
Waste management companies and local councils may work with battery collection schemes to help them achieve their recycling targets. They may arrange collections in your area.
Contact your local council
Waste directory
Mixed waste batteries and certain types of batteries are classed as hazardous/special waste. You must only transport your waste batteries to sites that have the appropriate environmental permit, waste management licence or exemption from your environmental regulator. Businesses must ensure that a special waste consignment note is completed prior to moving any waste batteries produced on the premises.
Recycling industrial batteries
The disposal of waste industrial batteries in landfill and by incineration is banned.
If you buy new industrial batteries, the battery producer will take back your waste batteries. You should contact your battery producer to find out the arrangements for returning waste batteries.
If you are not replacing waste batteries you can contact the original producer and find out the arrangements for returning waste batteries.
If you cannot arrange a collection with the original producer then you should contact a producer who currently supplies batteries of the same chemistry, or has placed that type of battery on the market recently.
If you are unable to contact a producer of batteries of the same chemistry then you can return your waste batteries to any producer of industrial batteries.
Producers of industrial batteries must advertise their contact details, and the types of batteries they produce before the start of each calendar year in which they operate.
You can obtain a list of registered producers or industrial and automotive batteries from The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
BIS: Batteries and accumulators
Recycling automotive batteries
The disposal of waste automotive batteries in landfill and by incineration is banned.
Members of the public with waste automotive batteries can take them to their local council’s civic amenity site or recycling centre. Most garages or businesses that sell automotive batteries will take back used batteries when you buy a new one.
You are likely to be a ‘final holder’ of waste automotive batteries if you run a:
- garage
- scrap yard
- end-of-life vehicle authorised treatment facility
- local council civic amenity site.
If you are a final holder of waste automotive batteries then you can request a free collection of batteries from any producer who currently supplies new batteries.
Producers of automotive batteries must advertise their contact details before the start of each calendar year in which they operate.
You can obtain a list of registered producers from your environmental regulator.
Contact your environmental regulator
You may find that the value of lead in automotive batteries means that businesses will be prepared to pay you for your waste batteries. You must make sure your waste automotive batteries are stored, handled recycled or disposed of safely and legally by licensed individuals or businesses.
Duty of care – your waste responsibilities
In this guideline:
Battery materials and labelling
Producers of portable batteries
Producers of industrial and automotive batteries
Batteries compliance schemes for portable battteries
Distributors and retailers of portable batteries
Treating, recycling or exporting waste batteries
What should you do with waste batteries
Further information on batteries
Batteries legislation
