Where do Lithium-ion batteries go?

Lithium-ion cells store a lot of energy behind a very thin separator, and crushing them shorts that separator. What follows is thermal runaway: the cell heats itself, vents flammable electrolyte and ignites, typically inside a compactor or on a picking line surrounded by paper and plastic. The EPA reviewed fires at US waste and recycling facilities and found lithium batteries implicated in a large and rising share of them, and UK operators report the same trend. There is no version of this that the kerbside bin handles safely, and the rule holds regardless of what else your council does or does not collect.

How to prepare it

1. Tape the terminals with electrical or duct tape before transporting.
2. Bag swollen or damaged cells separately and take them straight to a household waste centre — tell staff what it is.
3. Store them somewhere cool and away from anything flammable while they wait.

What not to do

• Never bin one, in any bin — a single cell has set fire to loaded trucks and to entire sorting halls.
• Never puncture, crush or dismantle a cell; the electrolyte is flammable and the reaction is self-sustaining.
• Never post one without declaring it — undeclared cells in mail are a recurring cause of aircraft hold fires.

Kerbside collection rules genuinely vary by council and county, and local rules always win over general guidance. The reasoning above is what transfers — if your service differs, it will usually be for a reason described here.

Other things that go to shop or manufacturer take-back

• Household batteries (AA, AAA, C, D, 9V) Battery collection point — a supermarket or DIY store box, or the household waste centre. Never the kerbside bin.
• Vapes and disposable e-cigarettes A vape shop or supermarket take-back bin. It is electrical waste with a lithium cell inside, not litter.
• Mobile phones Wipe it, then trade it in, donate it or hand it to an electricals take-back point.
• Disposable coffee cups Not the kerbside bin. Take them to a shop cup collection point, or general waste — the lid and sleeve recycle separately.
• Button and coin cells Battery collection point. Tape them first — and keep them away from small children until they go.
• Coffee pods and capsules Brand take-back scheme if aluminium; general waste for most plastic pods. Compostable ones need a food waste collection.
• Rechargeable batteries (NiMH, NiCd) Battery collection point. NiCd cells contain cadmium and are hazardous waste in most jurisdictions.
• Laptops and computers Wipe the drive, then donate, trade in or take it to WEEE recycling. The battery makes binning it a fire risk.
• Printer cartridges Manufacturer freepost return or a shop collection box. Not the kerbside bin.
• Tyres Tyre fitter or household waste centre, usually for a small fee. They are banned from landfill in the UK and EU.
• Power banks and portable chargers Small electricals collection or a battery take-back point. It is a lithium cell in a plastic shell.
• Propane and patio gas cylinders Back to the supplier or exchange point. Refillable cylinders are almost never yours to scrap.
• Bubble wrap and postal air pillows Soft plastics collection at a supermarket, or reuse it. Not the kerbside bin.
• Toys and gadgets with batteries inside Take the batteries out and deal with them separately; the toy then goes in small electricals. Sealed ones go in whole.