Schools do the positive thing and recycle batteries

SCHOOLS in Carmarthenshire are doing the positive thing and recycling old batteries.

Battery containers are being delivered to all primary and secondary schools so that staff, parents and pupils can recycle used batteries.

Figures show that less than five per cent of all household batteries in the UK are recycled. Many end up in landfill, where they can leak harmful chemicals into the soil.

That’s why it is so important to recycle our batteries and the council’s waste and recycling section has teamed up with DHL Envirosolutions to offer the collection service to schools and increase the number of battery collection points in the county.

Sustainability and waste awareness officer Tina Brice said: “Many of the items we regularly use at home will run on batteries so it is important they are recycled and turned into something new.”

Cefneithin Primary School, which is working towards its third Green Flag under the Eco Schools Programme, said the battery bank had been very successful.

Eco-Schools Co-ordinator Caroline Huntley said: “We have had it about a month and we had to have it emptied last week because it was full, we had some old batteries here in school and parents have been bringing in batteries from home. It is being well used.”

Most shops and supermarkets that sell batteries now have collection bins in store for used batteries. The council also has collection points at its customer service centres and you can take them along to your nearest waste recycling centre.

Only AA, AAA, C& D, laptop, mobile phone and button batteries are accepted in the battery containers.

To find your nearest battery recycling point go to http://banklocator.wasteawarenesswales.org.uk/search You can also search for your nearest recycling point for other materials too.

CAPTION: Cefneithin Primary School pupils Beca Davies, Katelin Brettle, Erin Walters and Owen Walters using their new battery recycling container.