Recycling can be incredibly confusing with different products and their packaging having to go into different bins.
It can be easy to just throw everything, including items like batteries, in a household waste bin without thinking.
A binman has revealed exactly where and how you should be disposing of your old batteries.
How to properly dispose of batteries
The TikTok influencer, The No1 Binman, Ashley has revealed that there are a few extra steps you should take when getting rid of old batteries.
He spoke to the BBC and said: “Do not put vapes or batteries in any bin.
“You can take them to B&Q or the vape shop you bought them from and they're meant to dispose of them themselves.”
Ashley added that a few councils will dispose of batteries if you leave them on top of your bin in a carrier bag.
But he stressed they should never be put inside the bin, as this can cause fires.
He continued: “I've had this before and I'm not sure if it's a battery or a vape - the back of a lorry started smoking.”
Individual local authorities should provide clear information on what households can and cannot be recycled.
Metal items that cannot be recycled in normal recycling bins include things like electrical items and batteries, pipes, irons, and general kitchenware.
How to avoid having your recycling bin refused
Ashley shared some other tips that will help avoid having recycling bin refused by the binmen.
He said binmen are told to leave the entire recycling bin if it contains more than 5 to 10% of non-recyclable items.
He said: “You should be taking food out if you put it in your food waste bin, rather than chucking it straight in there – like if you've got a loaf of bread that's out of date.
“Pizza boxes technically shouldn't go in paper waste because the grease on the boxes makes it unable to be recycled because you can't clean it off.
“They should be ripped apart and separated.
“Paper should be clean all the time.
“But some councils allow you to put them in the compost bin because they can be broken down with dirt and foods.”
Ashley also said people should be removing any polystyrene from packages and separating it from cardboard.
He said: “If something comes in a cardboard box, people take the item out and leave the polystyrene in the box.”
Do you always recycle your batteries in the correct way? Let us know in the comments.
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