City to start picking up old batteries (From Oxford Mail)
Get involved: send your photos, videos, news & views by texting OXFORD NEWS to 80360 or email us
City to start picking up old batteries
9:30am Saturday 1st September 2012 in News
PEOPLE in Oxford will soon be able to recycle batteries from their own homes.
The city council launches a new recycling scheme on Monday, which means all household batteries can be taken away with the normal recycling collection.
Oxfordshire Waste Partnership chairman David Dodds said: “We’re always looking to improve on our successful recycling schemes by collecting more materials, and batteries are the latest item on our list.
“People can put their old batteries in any clear plastic bag such as a sandwich bag and leave them on the top of their bin or box on any collection day, there’s no fixed schedule.”
South Oxfordshire, Vale of the White Horse, Cherwell and West Oxfordshire district councils already include batteries in their recycling schemes.
The councils work with Valpak, a company which covers the collection costs through payments from battery manufacturers.
The batteries are recycled into their component parts and used in the steel industry or to make new batteries.
City council recycling officer Emily Martin said: “ Any clear plastic bag can be used to place the batteries on top of the green or blue wheeled bins each week.”
Andrew:Oxford says...
11:14pm Sat 1 Sep 12
All that we need now is to be able to put small electricals, cables and transormers in the bins too.
Maybe supply each household with a small red bag every quarter to put inside the wheelie bin? Something big enough to take an iron, kettle, hairdrier etc.