Merseyside residents can now take their used household batteries to any of the region’s Household Waste Recycling Centres.
Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA) has rolled out battery collection points at all 14 of its Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs).
Carl Beer, Director of MWDA, said: “Hundreds of millions of batteries are sent to landfill every year where they can contaminate the land with harmful substances. If people are visiting their local Recycling Centre, or are passing by, we would ask them to drop off their used-up batteries instead of throwing them away in their general rubbish bin.”
Most batteries are classified as a hazardous waste and will be collected in special Household Battery containers at Merseyside’s HWRCs. Once gathered the batteries are sent for processing where they are stripped down to their constituent metal parts which can be used in new products.
Batteries haven’t been accepted in significant amounts in the past due to historically limited battery recycling facilities in the UK. However they have now been identified as a priority waste under the EU Batteries Directive which is expected to require the collection of 25% of household batteries by 2012*.
Facts about battery recycling:
– around 600 million UK household batteries (22,000 tonnes) – the equivalent weight of 110 Jumbo Jets – are sent to landfill unnecessarily every year*
– in 2005, research found that 85% of people said they would be encouraged to recycle unwanted batteries if they knew where to take them*
– the average household uses 21 batteries a year, all of which could be recycled*
Councillor Kevin Cluskey, Chairperson of MWDA, said: “Our Recycling Centres accept all sorts of materials – from cans and cardboard to glass bottles and garden waste, textiles, timber, tyres and lots more besides. Now we accept batteries I hope Merseysiders will help us by recycling as much of their waste as possible.”
Why not reduce the amount of waste you produce by:
– plugging electrical equipment into the mains electricity where possible
– buying appliances that use renewable energy: a wind-up radio or torch, dynamo bicycle lights or a solar powered calculator
– using rechargeable batteries wherever possible – you can even buy a solar powered recharger
You can tell your batteries are running low or used up by testing them in a torch or clock or using a battery tester*.
From 1st October Merseyside’s Household Waste Recycling Centres will be operating at winter opening hours of 8am until 5pm**.
ENDS
Merseyside’s Household Waste Recycling Centres:
Bidston – Wallasey Bridge Road, Birkenhead
Clatterbridge – Mount Road, Clatterbridge
Formby – Altcar Road, Formby
Huyton – Ellis Ashton Street, Huyton Industrial Estate
Kirkby – Depot Road, Knowsley Industrial Park
Newton-le-Willow – Junction Lane
Otterspool – Jericho Lane, Aigburth
Rainford – Southerns Lane
Rainhill – Tasker Terrace, Rainhill
Ravenhead – Burtonhead Road, St. Helens
Sefton Meadows – Sefton Lane, Maghull
Southport – Foul Lane, Scarisbrick New Road
South Sefton – Irlam Road, Bootle
West Kirby – Greenbank Road
**NB. Rainhill: Open 9am – 6pm on Saturdays; 9am – 3pm on Sundays
Rainford: Open 8am – 6pm on Saturdays; 9am – 3pm on Sundays
All the HWRCs accept the following materials for recycling:
Batteries (car and household)
Cans
Cardboard
Glass bottles/Jars (except Rainford)
Garden waste
Oil
Paper
Rubble
Scrap metal
Textiles
Timber