Trial for Fife households to recycle batteries on bin day postponed

Fife Council had been set to start a six month trial of collecting unwanted batteries for recycling alongside its regular kerbside bin collections in some parts of the Kingdom, making it easier for residents to recycle batteries at home.

The new initiative was due to start on Monday, March 31 however, the local authority has today announced on social media that it will no longer be starting that day.

In a post on Facebook, Fife Council said: “Our battery recycling trial, scheduled to start on Monday, 31 March 2025 across parts of Central Fife, has been postponed.

“Unfortunately, our battery recycling trial is being postponed as we are reviewing the boxes that will be used to store batteries in the bin lorries. We want to ensure they are both the right size and as safe as possible.

“Please continue to recycle your batteries at local recycling centres, supermarkets, shops, or charities, as usual.

“Thank you for your understanding and patience. We’ll keep you updated on the new start date for the trial.”

The trial was designed to help people recycle batteries safely alongside their regular kerbside bin collection and the council plan to collect the most common household batteries – .D, C, AA, AAA, AAAA, 6v, 9v and button batteries.

When the initiative does come into action, people can put unwanted batteries on top of their green bin for plastic and cans for pick up.

All they have to do is put them in a plastic bag or small container and the council will collect them.

By recycling batteries valuable materials are recovered that can then be used to create new batteries and other products. This conserves natural resources and reduces the environmental impact of these activities.

It also reduces the risk of hazardous waste as it helps stop harmful chemicals from entering nature.

Batteries should never be placed in side bins as this can cause them to ignite during the waste compaction process, so by recycling them property it can help prevent unnecessary fires in bin lorries and at recycling centres.

There is more information at www.fife.gov.uk/batterytrial