To have thrown a bunch of smashed up old mobile phones in the bin

Same here. I thought it was just for environmental reasons the same as recycling anything. I am amazed at the responses on this thread.

There isn't anywhere near me for recycling batteries or small appliances. There used to be one in my workplace for batteries which I did use, but I work mainly from home now. I have been known to chuck both batteries and toasters, kettles and most recently a soup maker in the general waste bin!

I used to save up tetra packs and drive them to a collection point in a supermarket car park but then they got rid of the bins so for a while they went in the general waste bin. They have now said we can put them in the general recycling bin which I now of course do.

I now understand that batteries could create a fire risk (hadn't thought of that) so I will start saving them up again. I don't really want to have to drive to the recycling centre about 10 miles away though everytime I have something electrical. Making a special trip in the car to recycle seems to cancel out at least to some extent the positive effects of the recycling you are doing.

I have been looking at the legislation quoted and can't see where there is a huge amount of responsibility placed on household users. If our bin collection team noticed something in the wrong bin, I am sure they would just put a sticker on your bin or a leaflet though. I will read some more of the thread though to see if this is any clearer (and might as Chat GPT).

I also have a bunch of old tech taking up space because I daren't get rid because of data concerns. I would be even more worried about this if I were handing it over to a person at a recycling centre or drop of point purely for electricals rather than hyperthetically burying it amongst a load of general waste where it is much more unlikely to be found.

As usual there are people frothing about recycling (excluding the fire risk part), who no doubt use cleaing wipes, single use plastics, drive a gas guzzler, take frequent or long haul flights and eat meat and dairy. I don't do any of those things.

I am curious what my friends and family do and will ask.

Co Op is a complicated company, it is divided into regions that are interconnected via two umbrella organisations FRTS & Co-Operatives UK, yet legally separate companies, and many branches are franchisees, therefore still independent shops.
Our village Co-Op falls under Southern Co Op but is an independent franchise
If they sell less than 4 AA a day, which is quite conceivable, they don't have to offer the service.

I guess where I live I'm well aware that very few people have the time or energy to be sorting their bins in any particular detail so there will be batteries (and foil??) in general waste and this must be something local authorities adjust for.

Maybe my data will be stolen by the local authority death battery checker as karma.

Sometimes it's not exactly not caring. Our council pretends that if you put batteries in a clear plastic bag out with the recycling, that they will recycle them. Every time me or a neighbour has done this, the batteries end up being left by the recycling crew. Sometimes they end up on the street which is then really dangerous for dogs etc. So I no longer put the batteries out for recycling because I know that the council won't recycle them. Hence, they are put in my black bin.

Yes, I know places have battery recycling (eg boots) - but guess what - the council have started charging for parking near those places so I don't go there unless absolutely necessary. Which is extremely infrequent.

And the tip? Well you have to book now. And the last time I took a large glass shower door to the tip for recycling, they said oh put it in the non recyclable as glass is full.

The council actively fucks everything up. There is only so much I can do in the face of such utter arseholery, incompentence and theft.

I don't blame the OP for slinging out mobile phones.

People have asked!!!
they don’t have one

Is this true? We sell A LOT of batteries at our workplace. I've worked there for five years now and never once been asked to take them back for recycling - we don't even have a recycling bin because our boss refuses to pay extra, everything just goes in the black bin.

Is this true? We sell A LOT of batteries at our workplace. I've worked there for five years now and never once been asked to take them back for recycling - we don't even have a recycling bin because our boss refuses to pay extra, everything just goes in the black bin.

Then just ask where you should put them, they sell batteries, by jaw they have to take them for recycling! But their bin may be behind the counter out of the way in a small shop

People have asked!!!
they don’t have one

Sometimes it's not exactly not caring. Our council pretends that if you put batteries in a clear plastic bag out with the recycling, that they will recycle them. Every time me or a neighbour has done this, the batteries end up being left by the recycling crew. Sometimes they end up on the street which is then really dangerous for dogs etc. So I no longer put the batteries out for recycling because I know that the council won't recycle them. Hence, they are put in my black bin.

Yes, I know places have battery recycling (eg boots) - but guess what - the council have started charging for parking near those places so I don't go there unless absolutely necessary. Which is extremely infrequent.

And the tip? Well you have to book now. And the last time I took a large glass shower door to the tip for recycling, they said oh put it in the non recyclable as glass is full.

The council actively fucks everything up. There is only so much I can do in the face of such utter arseholery, incompentence and theft.

I don't blame the OP for slinging out mobile phones.

It's depressing how many people on here, most with children, don't care

well now you have an answer. Tell them to look for a bin in shops that sell batteries. If they can't see a bin then ask the staff.

I haven’t, to be honest with you i don’t own anything that actually uses AA/AAA batteries or other size batteries, only things i used to change batteries for were hearing aids and I’d put them in a box at work, other people have asked, someone recently even done a post on our local facebook group asking about it

have you actually asked?

Nope!
not these two!

Have you asked? Sometimes the bin isn't on display. Chemists might also have one. Or ask your local council if any local shops do.

I looked it up and all Tesco and Co op branches have small battery recycling bins near the checkout.

Well neither of them have anywhere

Have you actually asked them where their battery recycling bin is?

The law says they have to have one