England
Drop-off point
Not in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point.
Never put batteries in any bin: use the battery box in shops that sell them, or the tip.
Also: Recycling centre
England-wide guidance, checked 26 Sep 2026. View the source
Rechargeable lithium battery
Also called: lithium battery, phone battery, laptop battery, Li-ion battery, rechargeable battery, camera battery
Drop-off point
National rules. Choose your council to see its answer.
Your council's answer
The answer can differ by council. Choose your council to see its rules for this item.
How to prepare it
- Tape over the terminals
- Take to a battery bin or the tip
- Don't use if swollen: keep it away from anything flammable
Where to take it
Place data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
National rules
The answer isn't the same in every UK nation. Choose your council to see the one that applies to you.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
Drop-off point
Not in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point.
Never put batteries in any bin: use the battery box in shops that sell them, or a recycling centre.
Also: Recycling centre
- Scotland-wide guidance, checked 27 Sep 2026. View the source
- Northern Ireland-wide guidance, checked 27 Sep 2026. View the source
Wales
Drop-off point
Not in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point.
Never bin batteries: some Welsh councils collect them in a tied clear bag on your recycling box, or use a shop battery box or the tip.
Also: Recycle at home, Recycling centre
Wales-wide guidance, checked 27 Sep 2026. View the source
Rules in the rest of the UK
England
Drop-off point
Not in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point.
Never put batteries in any bin: use the battery box in shops that sell them, or the tip.
Also: Recycling centre
England-wide guidance, checked 26 Sep 2026. View the source
Scotland
Drop-off point
Not in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point.
Never put batteries in any bin: use the battery box in shops that sell them, or a recycling centre.
Also: Recycling centre
Scotland-wide guidance, checked 27 Sep 2026. View the source
Wales
Drop-off point
Not in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point.
Never bin batteries: some Welsh councils collect them in a tied clear bag on your recycling box, or use a shop battery box or the tip.
Also: Recycle at home, Recycling centre
Wales-wide guidance, checked 27 Sep 2026. View the source
Northern Ireland
Drop-off point
Not in your home bins. Take it to a drop-off point.
Never put batteries in any bin: use the battery box in shops that sell them, or a recycling centre.
Also: Recycling centre
Northern Ireland-wide guidance, checked 27 Sep 2026. View the source
How to recycle it
National schemes anyone in the UK can use.
National scheme
Battery take-back at shops
Free · Return in store
Shops that sell a large amount of batteries must have a free battery collection point and tell customers where it is.
- Tape over the ends of lithium, button and 9V batteries
- Put them in the shop's battery collection point, which should take all household battery types, not just the ones the shop sells
- Look for the poster or ask staff if you can't see the collection point
Find your nearest supermarket that takes batteries
Source: gov.uk, checked 10 Oct 2026.
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