Did you know …  households in the UK throw away 600 million batteries in a year?

Did you know … it takes a battery 100 years to decompose?

The Big Battery Hunt is a nationwide battery recycling programme for schools funded by Duracell.  Its aim is to increase the number of batteries currently being recycled in the UK.

Pupils are challenged to collect as many batteries as they can, encouraging their communities to do the same, with the chance to win great prizes.

For more details about the Big Battery Hunt, see https://www.bigbatteryhunt.co.uk/

Why do we need to recycle batteries?

Every person in Britain uses about 10 batteries a year, meaning that in the UK, we throw away around 600 million batteries a year!

Most batteries are put into rubbish bins and then taken to landfill sites. When batteries begin to rot away in landfill sites, these chemicals may leak into the ground, which can cause soil and water pollution. When chemicals contaminate soil and water, animals, humans and the environment can be harmed.

Recycling is a great way to help protect the environment. Each battery placed in a recycling bin will be taken apart and the materials will be used to make something new.

Thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions could be avoided if the UK meets its recycling targets. In the UK, around 40,000 tonnes of portable batteries were sold in 2020, with only around 18,000 tonnes being recycled.