Valley residents reminded why they cannot throw batteries in the bin

Think before binning batteries – that’s the message to Ribble Valley residents.
Ribble Valley Borough Council engineering assistant Daniel McCaffrey urging people to think before they binRibble Valley Borough Council engineering assistant Daniel McCaffrey urging people to think before they bin
Ribble Valley Borough Council engineering assistant Daniel McCaffrey urging people to think before they bin

Residents are urged to dispose of waste batteries correctly after combusting battery chemicals caused a spate of fires in refuse vehicles across the UK.

Lithium-ion batteries commonly found in laptops and mobile phones, nickel-cadmium batteries found in remote controls and rechargeable batteries all contain chemicals that can ignite.

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Now, under new laws shops and supermarkets must take back battery waste if they sell more than 32kg of batteries a year, that’s the equivalent of four AA batteries a day.

You can also take them to battery collection points at the Ribble Valley Borough Council Offices in Clitheroe and household waste disposal centres in Henthorn Road, Clitheroe, and Chapel Hill, Longridge, where they will be stripped and recycled or disposed of as hazardous waste.

Common alkaline batteries are not considered hazardous waste and can be disposed of with household refuse.

Ribble Valley Borough Council engineering assistant, Daniel McCaffrey, said: “While batteries may seem harmless, many of them are not and incorrect disposal can be dangerous for refuse collection crews, the public and the environment.

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“Lithium-ion, nickel-cadmium and rechargeable batteries are among several fire hazards, including hot ash and unwrapped broken glass, that should not be included in household refuse.

“We are asking residents to dispose of waste batteries in the correct manner and there are plenty of battery recycling bins throughout the borough at shops, supermarkets and even the council offices in Clitheroe.”

Under new laws, retailers who sell more than 32kg of batteries a year must have a clearly-designated battery collection point at their premises, although they are not required to collect car and motorbike batteries, or batteries from industrial equipment.