Don’t banish your batteries to the bin

The Gloucestershire Energy from Waste Facility is urging residents to keep batteries out of the bin as they warn about the safety risks of incorrect disposal.

Put batteries to one side for correct disposal

Batteries, vapes, small electrical items and gas cannisters from BBQs are among some of the items that are often discarded incorrectly.

Residents are being asked to put the batteries to one side and take them to an appropriate collection point which can be found using Gloucestershire County Council’s Waste Wizard. Small electrical items and gas cannisters can be taken to local Household Recycling Centres which have specific drop off points.

Incorrect disposal of batteries via household residual waste results in environmental, health, and safety risks as batteries can be damaged in transit and can cause fires as a result.  Gas cannisters disposed of incorrectly also create significant safety hazards to the staff at the Facility as they will still contain some gas. They should be returned to the retailer or taken to the nearest Household Recycling Centre.  

Melanie De La Torre Zamora, Community Relationship Manager at Gloucestershire Energy from Waste Facility, is keen for residents to help keep the Facility’s staff and site safe. She says: “Disposing of batteries and electrical items containing batteries in your household residual waste bin might be convenient but they can be incredibly dangerous if they are not recycled properly.

“To make sure these items are processed safely, please check Waste Wizard or Gloucestershire Recycles website to see what recycling options are available in your area. Please think twice before binning the batteries.”

Gloucestershire’s Household Recycling Centres are located at:

-              Hempsted (Gloucester)

-              Wingmoor Farm (Bishop’s Cleeve)

-              Pyke Quarry (Horsley)

-              Oak Quarry (Coleford)

-              Fosse Cross (Cirencester)

For more information about safe and responsible recycling, including where to find appropriate recycling, please visit  https://www.gloucestershirerecycles.com or https://www.gloucestershirerecycles.com/waste-wizard/ or https://www.gloucestershirerecycles.com/household-recycling-centres-hrcs/