A binman who posts on TikTok as The No1 Binman has said that used batteries and vapes should not be thrown into any household bin. Ashley, as he is known, told the BBC: "Do not put vapes or batteries in any bin. You can take them to B&Q or the vape shop you bought them from and they're meant to dispose of the themselves."
Why batteries are a fire risk
Putting batteries in bins for collection can increase the risk of fires in bin lorries. Ashley added: "I've had this before — and I'm not sure if it's a battery or a vape — the back of a lorry started smoking."
Household batteries, including those found in vapes, toys, headphones and car key fobs, are now one of the biggest and fastest-growing causes of fires in household waste and recycling in the UK, the BBC reported earlier this year. In Guernsey alone, 40 or so separate fires at waste facilities over the last four years were caused by hazardous items including batteries.
When batteries are left in general waste or standard recycling bins, they can be punctured or crushed by heavy machinery during collection or processing, sparking a fire.
Check with your council first
Some councils do allow residents to put batteries on top of the bin in small carrier bags, but Ashley said people should check whether this applies to them before assuming they can do it.
The Recycle Now website says: "If your local authority accepts batteries as part of their home recycling scheme there may be special instructions on how to put them out for collection — for example, place batteries in a clear plastic bag tied to your recycling bin. It is best to check with them first."
Alternatively, there are several shops where batteries can be dropped off for recycling, and council-run recycling centres are also likely to have collection points for used batteries.
Other mistakes that get recycling rejected
Ashley also shared tips to make sure recycling is collected. He explained that binmen are instructed to leave any bin containing more than 5-10% non-recyclable waste. One of the biggest causes of recycling bins being rejected is people not removing packaging.
He said: "You should be taking food out if you put it in your food waste bin, rather than chucking it straight in there – like if you've got a loaf of bread that's out of date."
Another common issue is polystyrene left in the paper bin. Ashley said that if something comes in a cardboard box, the polystyrene must be removed before the box is placed in the bin. He also said pizza boxes, despite being made of cardboard, are still unsuitable for recycling because the grease from the pizza cannot be wiped off and makes the box non-recyclable.
Which batteries can be recycled?
All household batteries, including button batteries from watches, can be recycled. Battery packs from laptops, mobile phones, power tools and remote control units are also recyclable. Car batteries can be recycled too, but only at designated collection points, not in home recycling.
