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

[Pavementworrier]

Sims removed but otherwise just as they were

I'd been keeping of them to "destroy securely" but they're driving me insane around the house so enough was enough

Will I get digitally kidnapped now? They were really old and shit phones.

Yes but I don't know if that is in sufficient quantities to be required by law to do a collection for recycling. I will check next time I go in.

I have just been looking at some statistics and it appears that people who say they recycle batteries (even occasionally) is under 50% and the environment agency reckon only around 30% of batteries sold are recycled. If that's right, it appears that there are many more people not recycling batteries in real life than it would appear from this Mumsnet thread.

Edited to say, sorry I didn't realise you were replying to someone else. I also have a little Tesco and a Coop near me and wasn't sure if they had a collection bin.

I didnt realise it was a legal requirement. However in our work entrance we have a little cardboard box for batteries so I have put mine in there for years.
I've heard about the bin lorry fires but thought that was just disposable vapes causing the issue.

The cut off point is 32 kg of batteries per year which breaks down to approximately 4 AA batteries per day, less per day if they sell bigger batteries.

I don't know if it's been mentioned already but "normal" batteries like AA and AAA etc are usually alkaline not lithium and are extremely unlikely to cause any sort of fire. However, obviously the type of battery being discussed here is different as it's in a mobile phone.

I always assumed the battery collection bucket things were just to be more environmentally friendly tbh. I've been chucking dead AA and AAA type batteries in my household bin for years 😬

Also, from what I can find online it's not actually illegal to do this although local councils can, but don't usually, issue fines for frequent excessive amounts of batteries in household waste.

Er, okay, so if I put a pot in my kitchen then all the used batteries in my house will magically be transported from there to the supermarket every few weeks? I think not.

Also, not a good idea for there to be containers of batteries in households with small, curious children.

I think that the 'recycle ALL batteries" message is used because its much easier to get people to do things if the message is short and simple. When you start getting to "if this do this, if that do something different" it can be confusing and end up with people doing the wrong thing or going "oh I cannot be bothered" For shops too, the line is clear, basically if you sell batteries you take batteries back with no ifs or buts about battery type or brand. Additionally of course, sending batteries to landfill is not great and some materials from batteries can be recovered and re used. I have a friend whose parent is obsessive about recycling and lives in an area where understanding the rules is slightly more complicated than explaining the offside rule to a non footy fan. The parent does their best but insists its ok to put foodwaste into single use plastic bags "to keep the kitchen storage bucket clean"

If you can keep laundry detergent and toilet cleaner out of their way, why is it so difficult to keep used batteries out of their way. Do you never visit a shop that sells batteries?

It's hardly a rare or unheard of issue, is it? I couldn't quickly find national stats for last year, but this news story from October is reporting on the seventh bin lorry fire of 2025 in Nottingham alone, mostly caused by lithium batteries.
Rubbish dumped in Nottingham's seventh bin lorry fire of year - BBC News

Well every day is a school day. I feel a wee bit bad about my flinging of regular batteries in the bin. Will make a conscious effort to recycle them now. Although tbh I have ADHD and it's far more likely they'll just rattle around in a drawer for 3 years pissing me off until I eventually take them to a shop 😂

Definitely would recycle lithium though. My work in aviation put the absolute fear into me about that.

if you have a system set up for recycling lithium batteries, could you just change it to include all batteries?

yabu, recycle them

It was thought to be a lithium battery that set a local recycling depot on fire, huge amount of damage, use of emergency services and black smoke for ages

Our council collects small electricals and stuff like phones weekly with the bin collection

I also had no clue we couldn't put batteries in the regular bin!

Oh we don't have a system for that because I couldn't tell you the last time I disposed of a lithium battery!

Again, I’m doing well if I get to a supermarket and have a) £1 for the trolley and/or b) my shopping bags. 😄

With the greatest will in the world, I just do not have the organisational skills to be one of those people who can have a little battery bucket and take its contents to the supermarket regularly. Especially since my supermarket trips tend to be impromptu, on the way home from somewhere.

I do recycle into all the household bins though so ultimately, ‘good enough’ is going to have to be good enough! 😊

I leave DH to deal with the batteries, he uses most of them, he collects them in a bag and takes them down Asda if he's walking past, they are quite heavy in bulk.

yes you do, you are choosing not to use them.

OP, is there anyone else in the house who you can ask to take care of these sort of small tasks?

https://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/people/accidental-fire-at-wellingborough-recycling-centre-most-likely-caused-by-dumped-lithium-ion-battery-5263247

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2875e44z9o

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c620g3l93gvo

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxpxz4x118o?app-referrer=search

You’re a dick

There are times when I wonder how some people manage to get up and put their clothes on in the morning. Let alone post on forums, drive cars, raise children, feed themselves, but can't or won't recycle the right things in the right places.

I keep a couple of previous phones as spares in case my current one breaks down but the rest are recycled when someone next goes to the dump, where there is always a container for things like that. They are then taken away, broken up and what can be recycled (most of it) is taken out and stripped down properly.

There are often also receptacles for this sort of thing in supermarkets too.

Binning them with the general rubbish is totally irresponsible and I don't know anyone who does it.

You need to retrieve them.

Then you are not functioning as an adult. Put the box in your car or just collect them in a box and take them once a year… it’s not like people use hundreds of batteries or need to do it monthly.

yup me too.

You take them to your local tip (council recycling centre) where there will be a special container for small household appliances.

There you put old toasters, kettles, computers, tablets or any other broken down small household appliance. That's the system at our local tip. They are then taken to a specialist facility which can break them up safely and recycle most of the parts.

Throwing them into landfill is unnecessary, dangerous, environmentally unfriendly and totally irresponsible.

Apologies if this has been asked or answered before as I haven't read all 15 pages.

I am disabled and cannot drive to get to the tip. I can get to the shop on my mobility scooter, si recycle batteries that way. But is there a way to recycle old phones other than going to the tip? Can I post them off somewhere or do supermarkets recycle them?