How to store batteries safely before collection
- Store in a cool, dry place and out of direct sunlight
- Do not store leaking or damaged batteries
- Cover the contacts on laptop/mobile phone batteries and button batteries with tape and remove trailing wires. This will reduce the risk of the batteries short circuiting
How to present your batteries for collection
Please place your batteries in a clear plastic bag and put on top of your black wheeled bin. If you live in a flat-fronted property and put bags out for collection, place your batteries in a clear plastic bag and put on top of one of your black bags so the crew can easily spot it.
Batteries will be collected weekly along with you scheduled rubbish collection.
If you live in a block of flats with a communal collection, please continue to take your batteries to local shops and supermarkets or the Portsmouth Household Waste Recycling Centre.
What batteries can be recycled?
The following batteries can be recycled through this service:
- 6V
- 9V
- AA
- AAA
- C
- D
- Button cell
- Hearing aid batteries
- Rechargeable batteries
- Mobile phone batteries
- Laptop batteries (with the terminals taped)
- Power tool batteries
We cannot accept:
- Batteries with trailing wires
- Children’s ride on toy batteries
- Corroded batteries
- Motorbike or car batteries
- Industrial batteries
- Sealed lead acid/gel batteries
- 12V leisure batteries
- Non-household batteries
What happens to the batteries after collection?
After your batteries have been collected from the kerbside, they are placed in a separate container at the waste collection depot.
Once the container is full, the batteries are collected and treated through the Valpak compliance scheme by Approved Batteries Treatment Operators.
Batteries are then sorted into their different chemistry types (e.g. lithium-ion, zinc, or nickel cadmium) to ensure the maximum amount of original material can be recovered to make new products.
There are many different ways of recycling batteries, but the aim is always the same – recovering the raw material used to make the battery so that it can be used again for something new. Below is table showing how the materials from different types of batteries can be used: