New items will soon be able to be recycled by the kerbside in Wiltshire.

Wiltshire Council will start their small household kerbside battery recycling scheme from Monday, December 5.

Batteries that will be collected are D, C, AA, AAA, 9V, rechargeable and button batteries only.

The collection will be done alongside the blue-lidded bin or blue recycling sack collection every fortnight.

Batteries should not be added to the other recycling items, but presented separately in a clear, sealed plastic bag such as a freezer or a sandwich bag, and placed on top of the recycling bin or on the side of the recycling sack.

This is to avoid leakage and reduce fire risk to collection crews and vehicles during transport. No bags or containers will be provided to residents.

The council asks that residents to store their used batteries at home until they have enough to fill their sealed bags for collection to avoid the bag blowing off the bin in the wind or being missed by the collection crew.

Should incorrect batteries be included in the sealed bag, or if batteries have leaked, a sticker will be placed on the battery bag advising residents.

The waste collection crews have received additional training to ensure proper handling of these batteries.

The collection date for recycling will remain unchanged.

Waste collection dates can be found on the council’s waste calendar page available on https://ilforms.wiltshire.gov.uk/WasteCollectionDays/index.

The aim of this new collection offer is to contribute to environmental objectives and reduce risk of fires, both on collection vehicles and at waste treatment and recycling facilities.

Batteries caused nearly 260 fires at waste and recycling facilities across the UK in the 2019-2020 financial year according to the Environmental Services Association (ESA).

Batteries that will not be collected can be recycled at local household recycling centre (HRC), locations available on https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/household-recycling-centres, and local retailers, locations of which can be found on https://www.recyclenow.com/recycling-locator.

Batteries that will be collected:

  • ​​​​​D
  • C
  • AA
  • AAA
  • 9V
  • Button
  • Rechargeable

Batteries that will not be collected:

  • Lead acid batteries, e.g. car batteries
  • Portable appliance battery units, e.g. handheld vacuums, power tools
  • Golf trolley/power caddy
  • E-Scooter battery
  • Mobility scooter battery
  • Batteries with trailing wires
  • Children's ride on toy batteries
  • Motorbike batteries        
  • Sealed lactic acid/gel batteries
  • 12v leisure batteries
  • Items with integral batteries i.e. electric toothbrush, mobile phone etc
  • Laptops

Small electrical items are not included in this new scheme.

The Council indicated they are discussing this additional service with their contractor, but no agreement has been found yet.

More information to be found on the council’s dedicated page: https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/battery-collections