Sometimes, when a task seems too difficult for us, it pays to tackle it bit by bit. Smart recycling of old batteries could work the same way, if experiences in Stroud District are anything to go by.
Stroud District encompasses the town by that name, and the surrounding areas in Gloucestershire County in England. In March 2021, an English newspaper singled out Stroud as ‘the best place to live in England’, so it must be quite a community.
Smart Recycling of Old Batteries in Stroud
This time Stroud District is back in the news, according to Gazette Series. This is because their smart recycling of old batteries has succeeded in reducing the number of fires in their waste collection vehicles.
But this was only after district officials introduced a household battery and vape recycling service, in May 2025. This coincides with their weekly food-waste collection program, which sounds like a great idea.
Their idea has paid dividends too. Since then, Stroud District has recovered two tons of household batteries. But that’s not all. They have also collected 265 pounds of lightweight vapes and e-cigarettes in the past year.
How Stroud District Collected This Waste
The District limits its service to 10 small batteries, and five vapes or e-cigarettes per household each week. Residents place this waste in separate clear plastic bags on collection day, and leave these on top of their food-waste bins.
However, this is not a collection service for lead-acid (starter) batteries! These should go directly to a dealer who passes them on to a specialist recycling system. The Stroud District service is only for sizes ‘AA, C, D, 9V, button cells, and lithium-ion batteries up to D size’ according to Gazette Series.
A Smart Recycling Service and Example For All
So there we have it in a nut shell. Smart recycling of old batteries and a service for e-smokers too. Stroud District broke the problem down to manageable dimensions. They created a recycling example for more of us to follow.
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