Where an old battery goes depends on its type. Household batteries can go back to many shops free; car and van batteries are collected free by their producers; and a business moving waste batteries must be a registered waste carrier. (GOV.UK: battery waste; GOV.UK: waste batteries regulations)
This guide is not legal advice; the official links give the full rules.
Household and portable batteries: shop take-back
Any shop that sells or supplies 32kg or more of portable batteries a year must take back used portable batteries free — one pack of four AA batteries a day is about 32kg a year. The shop must have a collection point on its premises and let people know about it, for example with a poster. This applies to chains, and to online, mail-order and telephone sellers too. (GOV.UK; the law is regulation 31)
Take-back covers any sealed battery an average person can carry without difficulty — AA, AAA and 9v batteries, rechargeables, and batteries from phones, laptops, hearing aids, watches, torches and similar. Car and motorbike batteries and industrial batteries are not included. (GOV.UK)
Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own guidance: mygov.scot for Scotland and DAERA for Northern Ireland.
Car and van batteries
A car or van starter battery is an "automotive" battery. The producer — the maker or importer that first put the battery on the UK market — must collect waste automotive batteries free from their final holders, such as garages and scrapyards. So a garage or scrapyard holding old car batteries can have them collected free by the producer. (GOV.UK: waste batteries regulations)
All waste batteries have to be treated by a battery treatment operator or exporter authorised under the regulations — the ABTOs and ABEs the guidance names. (GOV.UK: waste batteries regulations)
A lead-acid car battery is hazardous waste, EWC code 16 06 01* — see the EWC code finder and hazardous waste consignment notes for what moving it involves.
Moving batteries as a business
A business that transports waste batteries itself — for example taking them to a recycling plant — must hold a waste carrier registration and follow the law on moving and transferring hazardous waste. (GOV.UK: battery waste)
Before handing batteries to any carrier, check them on the register: check a waste carrier is registered.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Battery waste: retailer and distributor responsibilities
- Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009, regulation 31 (take-back)
- GOV.UK: Regulations: waste batteries
- mygov.scot: battery retailers and distributors (Scotland)
- DAERA: waste batteries and accumulators regulations (Northern Ireland)
Checked 3 November 2026.
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