Wiltshire Council is making a difference tothe environment by joining a new battery recycling scheme.  People can now take all their spent householdbatteries to any one of the ten household recycling centres in Wiltshire wherethey will find new collection containers, which people are asked to use asdirected on site. 

The sites will accept all types of householdbatteries, including rechargeable battery packs used in DIY tools and digitalcameras, laptop batteries, small "button" or watch-type batteries, aswell as the typical AA and AAA type batteries. Car batteries, which have beencollected at the sites for several years, will continue to be recycled inseparate containers.

The council and its contractor Hills WasteSolutions Ltd have joined with the company Valpak who have helped provide thenew containers and who will be responsible for taking the batteries collectedto be recycled. 

Every year the average household disposesof 21 batteries of different types – many of which would previously have endedup in landfill.  This means in Wiltshireup to four million batteries could now be diverted away from landfill.

Batteries contain a range of heavy metalsthat can be used for other purposes once the batteries have been recycled. Newregulations that came into force in May 2009 places responsibility on battery manufacturersto recycle their products once they reach the end of their life.  The cost of this scheme will be paid byValpak which in turn is partnering with battery producers to help them complywith the new regulations.

This battery recycling scheme adds to the widerange of materials which can now be taken to Wiltshire's household recyclingcentres for recycling.   

Mr Toby Sturgis, cabinet member for wasteand the environment, said: "The launch of this service will help ensurethe millions of batteries that are currently sent to landfill are now dealtwith in a more environmentally sustainable manner. I would urge everyone totake their batteries to one of the ten household waste recycling centres weprovide in Wiltshire to prevent them ending up on the tip."