Waste household batteries are currently accepted at the following sites:
- Customer service centre, Mandela House, Regent Street (to the right of the reception desk)
- Waitrose, Hauxton Road, Trumpington (in the entrance foyer)
- Budgens, Arbury Court (in store)
- Sainsbury's, Coldhams Lane (at the recycling point)
Cambridgeshire County Council provides battery collections at all recycling centres. The closest ones to Cambridge are:
- Butt Lane, near Milton (off the A10)
- Gravel Pit Hill, Thriplow (off the A505)
Types of battery
The following batteries can be recycled:
- all AA and AAA
- sizes C and D
- button batteries, eg. watch batteries
- mobile phone batteries
- laptop batteries
- rechargeable batteries
Why recycle household batteries?
In the UK we throw away over 600 million batteries every year. While we recycle over 90 per cent of our lead-acid batteries - those used in vehicles - we only recycle 4 per cent of the non-lead-acid batteries that we waste in the UK.
This means that of about 25,000 tonnes of waste household and industrial batteries generated in the UK each year, just 1,000 tonnes is recycled.
Most batteries contain heavy metals, which are the main cause for environmental concern.
When disposed of incorrectly, these heavy metals can leak into the ground when the battery casing corrodes. This can contribute to soil and water pollution and endanger wildlife.
Recycling process
The batteries are collected by G&P Batteries Ltd and taken to a sorting plant in the UK. The batteries are sorted into batches based on their chemical content.
After sorting, the batteries are reprocessed (most in the UK but some in France) to produce other products including new batteries.
Reduce battery waste
- use mains-powered appliances or a mains adaptor wherever possible
- use rechargeable batteries, and ideally a solar-powered charger - these are now available from as little as £25
For more information about battery recycling, see the factsheet on the Waste Online website.
