The Isle of Wight Council is inviting residents to make a positive difference to the environment by using its new household battery recycling scheme.

From Monday (2 May), householders can leave their spent household batteries out for collection with their general waste (black bins/black gull-proof sacks). 

All the batteries collected by the crews will be placed in a special box fitted to the collection vehicles and sent for sorting and processing. Metals and chemicals will be extracted and used to make new batteries and other products.

To ensure the batteries are kept separate to other household general waste, batteries should be placed safely and separately on top of your closed black bin or gull-proof sack in their own clear sandwich sized bag.

You can recycle small batteries of all shapes via the scheme. These typically include AA, AAA, of any size, small round (watch type batteries) and square batteries, and old rechargeable household batteries.

Batteries must always be removed from electrical items before being collected.

Large batteries such as laptop/phone/power tool batteries and car batteries or items where the batteries cannot be removed should be taken to your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre.

Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet lead for environment and waste management, said: “In partnership with our waste operator, Amey Waste Treatment, I am pleased to announce our new battery collection service.