Batteries and vapes: how to get rid of them safely
Updated 14 Oct 2026
Lots of everyday things have a battery inside: toys, vapes, power banks, toothbrushes, even musical birthday cards. They all need to go to a collection point, not a bin.
Each item below links to its own page, where you can choose your council and see whether it collects batteries from home.
Household batteries
Shops that sell batteries usually have a battery collection box, often near the tills. Recycling centres take them too. A few councils collect batteries from home: in some parts of Wales, for example, you put them in a clear bag tied to your recycling box.
Keep used batteries in a box or jar until you take them in, away from heat.
- AA or AAA batteryUsually: Drop-off point
- Battery (not sure which type)Usually: Drop-off point
- Rechargeable lithium batteryUsually: Drop-off point
- Button batteryUsually: Drop-off point
Button batteries
Button batteries, like the ones in watches, car keys and small toys, are very dangerous if a child swallows one. Store them out of reach, including used ones, and take them to a battery box.
- Button batteryUsually: Drop-off point
Things with batteries built in
If it has a plug, a battery or a charging cable, it's an electrical item. That includes light-up toys, power banks, electric toothbrushes and phones. Take the battery out if it's designed to come out. If it isn't, take the whole thing to an electricals collection point or a recycling centre. Shops that sell electricals often take small ones back.
- Power bankUsually: Drop-off point
- Electronic toyUsually: Drop-off point
- Small household applianceUsually: Drop-off point
Vapes
Single-use vapes have been banned from sale across the UK since June 2025, but plenty are still in drawers. Every vape, disposable or refillable, has a lithium battery inside, so it must never go in a bin.
Shops that sell vapes must take one back when you buy a similar one, and most will take any used vape. Recycling centres take them too, and some Welsh councils collect them with your recycling. Pods and cartridges go the same way.
- Disposable vapeUsually: Drop-off point
- Refillable vapeUsually: Drop-off point
- Vape pod or cartridgeUsually: Drop-off point
Car batteries
Car, motorbike and leisure batteries are heavy and full of acid. Take them to a recycling centre, or to a garage or motor parts shop that sells batteries.
- Car batteryUsually: Recycling centre
Common questions
Can batteries go in the bin?
No, not in any bin. Take them to a battery box in a shop that sells batteries, or to a recycling centre. See batteries.
Where can I recycle vapes?
At shops that sell vapes, which must take one back when you buy a similar one, or at a recycling centre. Never put a vape in a bin. See disposable vapes.
Can I put a power bank in the battery box?
Check the sign on the box: some take only loose household batteries. A recycling centre or an electricals collection point will take a power bank. See power banks.
Why are batteries dangerous in bins?
When a bin lorry or recycling machine crushes a lithium battery, it can catch fire. These fires damage lorries and recycling sites and put workers at risk.
How councils compare
Sources
Each item's answer above comes from the national guidance in our data. Your council's own rules can differ: choose your council on any item page, or check its website.