Batteries (household)

You can now recycle household batteries at  Highland Council recycling centres and some big stores which sell batteries such as Morrisons, Tescos  and Boots.

However it is best to avoid buying goods that use batteries or use rechargeable ones (although more expensive to buy, they are cheaper in the long run).  You can also buy solar powered or even water powered products.

Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries have higher capacity than NiCd's and don't suffer from memory effect so can recharge more effectively. NiMH's have a high self-discharge rate (they go dead after a few months even if you don't use them) so they may not good for things like emergency torches or smoke detectors -  check your instructions on each appliance to see what is recommended.

If you need to use a non rechargeable battery there are oxyride or alkaline batteries; Oxyrides last longer, so they may be best option. Standard alkalines don't work well in high-drain devices like digital cameras. For those use either high-drain alkalines.

Councils in Perth, Aberdeen and Edinburgh collect discharged household batteries. - check Sort-it for details.

The energy needed to make batteries is 50 times greater than the energy they give out. Batteries are considered toxic waste. They contain acid and heavy metals - cadmium, lead and mercury, all of which are harmful to health and take a long time to break down.

There are businesses that can collect batteries from offices. they can supply a prepaid collection box e.g  G & P Batteries and Rabbitt Recycling

REBAT is an initiative managed by the British Battery Manufacturers Association to encourage collection of nickel-cadmium batteries in the UK.  It lists the addresses of battery manufacturers and suppliers which provide information about return schemes.

For further information on battery recycling, visit Waste Online.