Recycle your used batteries, says council

Newtown residents are being urged to recycle old batteries and battery powered items.

Powys County Council says large quantities of batteries are being put in the bin.

Across the UK each year, the equivalent of 22,000 tonnes of batteries are disposed of, with only one third being recycled properly - the rest end up in the rubbish bin.
 
A statement said: "These old batteries that are just thrown away can be dangerous. When collected along with other rubbish or recycling, the batteries can be unintentionally squashed, compacted, punctured, shredded, or soaked in liquids. When this happens, often the chemicals and other harmful contents can cause damage to the environment, while some types of battery can get very hot or even ignite."

Cllr Heulwen Hulme, Cabinet Member for Waste and Recycling, said: “Items such as batteries and other electronics can all be recycled safely at the Household Waste Recycling Centres [HWRC]. Many supermarkets, libraries and schools also have safe recycling points for small, household batteries.
 
“Batteries should always be removed from unwanted goods and recycled separately. By recycling batteries responsibly, and never throwing them out with the general rubbish, we can not only boost our recycling rate, but also make sure they end up in safe, specialist, battery recycling facility.”
 
For more information on what materials can be recycled in Powys, please see out online recycling guide: https://en.powys.gov.uk/article/7744/A-to-Z-of-waste-and-recyclable-items