It's a WRAP for battery recycling schemes

Support for the retail take-back scheme has now been secured from Argos, B &Q, Currys, Currys.digital, Homebase, PC World and Tesco. Trials will take place at 33 selected stores in Eastleigh, Hampshire; Swansea, Wales; and Perth & Kinross, Scotland starting this year.

Customers will be encouraged to bring their unwanted batteries with them when they visit the stores and deposit them in the special battery collection containers located in the stores.

The new community drop-off trials with the London Borough of Camden, London and Cherwell District Council, Oxfordshire will be launched next year. These schemes will encourage local residents to take their used batteries to special battery collection points located across each area.

Special efforts are being made to include rural communities too through the new postal trials with the Royal Mail.

WRAP is working with Cumbria County Council and Eden District Council and Dumfries & Galloway Council to deliver the UK’s first postal battery only recycling trials. Residents in the trial areas will be sent pre-paid recycling envelopes to enable them to send back their used batteries for recycling free of charge.

Although no dates for these last two trials has been set, WRAP said households that can take part will be notified about the launches.

It is anticipated these new schemes will allow an additional 400,000 households to do the positive thing and recycle all their used batteries. Results from the different trials will help the government identify the best collection strategy, to enable the UK to meet the requirements of the EU Batteries Directive.

Chris Davey, Manager Local Authority Relations, WRAP, said: "These new trials complete the initial phase of our battery recycling work. I am delighted that so many partner organisations are working with WRAP to find out how we can best collect batteries for recycling in the UK.

"We hope to deliver a cost effective, long-term solution that will help us encourage behavioural change and turn the tide on the 600 million batteries currently being sent to landfill each year."

If readers want to find out more about the trials they can call the national helpline on 08453 313131 or visit the national recycling website.