Electrical & battery recycling (WEEE)

Why this matters

Old electricals and batteries don’t belong in your household bin. They contain materials that can be recovered and reused — and some that can harm the environment, or even start fires in bins and collection lorries, if thrown away carelessly. Recycling them is free, easy and, for all of us, the right thing to do.

The crossed-out wheelie bin symbol

You’ll see a crossed-out wheelie bin symbol on electrical items and batteries. It means exactly what it shows: don’t put this in your ordinary rubbish — recycle it separately instead.

Recycling your old electricals

Smart Warehouses supports UK electrical recycling as a member of the Distributor Take-back Scheme (DTS), operated by Valpak. Because we’re an online retailer, our membership helps fund electrical recycling facilities across the UK instead of offering in-store take-back — so when you buy a new electrical item from us, you can recycle the old one free of charge at your local recycling centre.

To find your nearest drop-off point:

What counts as WEEE?

WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) is anything with a plug, cable or battery. From our own range, that includes things like LED bulbs, torches and work lights, chargers and cables, fans, heaters, smart gadgets and power accessories.

Batteries

Never put batteries — or products with batteries sealed inside — in your household bin. Damaged or crushed batteries, particularly lithium ones, are a real fire risk.

Waste batteries can be recycled free of charge at battery collection points in most large supermarkets and many high-street shops, and at your local recycling centre.

Questions?

If you're not sure how to dispose of something you've bought from us, email admin@smartwarehouses.co.uk and we'll point you in the right direction.