Free weekly kerbside battery recycling service launches

Date published: 27th January 2023

North Norfolk District Council, Breckland, Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Council are delighted to be launching a new free weekly kerbside collection service to residents in partnership with Serco.

From 30 January residents will be able to recycle used household batteries. The collections will be weekly, so residents just need to place their used household batteries in a freezer bag, or similar sized clear bag, on top of either their black or green bin on their usual collection day for them to be recycled. It is important that the batteries are placed on top of the bins because if they are not separated, they will go into the body of the vehicle where they risk being crushed which can cause vehicle fires and fires at the processing facility.

Batteries are made from many different materials including lithium-ion (used in laptop batteries), zinc (used in AA batteries) and nickel cadmium (used in power tool batteries); all are recycled into their component parts. The recovered materials can be used to manufacture new batteries and electronics; they can also be used in the steel industry and even in paint production.

Cllr Nigel Lloyd, portfolio holder for Environmental Services, Climate Change and Environment said: 

“I am delighted that North Norfolk District Council, working in partnership with Serco, will be offering this new kerbside small battery collection service to North Norfolk residents. As a society we have become more and more reliant on battery powered devices. However, spent batteries can pose a significant risk to the environment when not disposed of responsibly and can be dangerous if they enter our standard waste processing facilities.

“I hope residents will take advantage of this new service. Our desire is to make it easier for residents to protect their environment with the added benefit of recycling the increasingly scarce metals found within batteries.”

George Roach Serco Norfolk’s Senior Contract Manger said: 

“We are delighted to be working with the authorities to provide this new weekly recycling service to their residents.”

Read the FAQs:

When will the battery recycling collections start?

From Monday 30^th January we will be able to collect used batteries as part of your rubbish and recycling collection service.

How will I be able to recycle my batteries?

From Monday 30^th January you will be able to recycle your used batteries. Simply put them in a freezer bag, or similar sized clear bag, on top of your black or green bin on collection day and we will recycle them for you.

What if I have a sack collection?

At the moment this service is only available for properties that have a wheelie bin, but we are working hard to find a solution so we can offer the service to all our residents. In the meantime, you can still recycle your used batteries by taking them to any shop that sells them.

What if I live in a flat and have my waste and recycling collection in large bins?

We’re currently unable to provide a battery collection service to properties with large, shared bins. You can still recycle your used batteries by taking them to any shop that sells them.

How frequently will the batteries be collected?

This will be a weekly collection service, please just put your used batteries in a tied up freezer bag, or similar sized clear bag, on top of your black or green bin on collection day.

What type of batteries can I put out for recycling?

We will be able to take the following batteries:

• AA
• AAA
• C (toys, torches, portable radios)
• 6V
• D (torches, stereos)
• 6V (medical instruments, cameras)
• 9V (fire alarms)
• Button

Please put them out in a separate tied up freezer bag, or similar sized clear bag, on top of your black or green bin.

You can also recycle your batteries by taking them to any shop that sells them.

Are there any batteries I cannot put out to be recycled?

We will be unable to take the following:

• Car batteries
• Damaged batteries
• Loose lithium-ion (extracted from laptops, mobile phones, tablets) 

How many bags of batteries can I leave out?

There is limited space on the vehicles so we would ask you to place your batteries out ‘little and often. We will only be able to take one small tied freezer size bag of batteries at a time.