Did you know that if you put electrical items into your general waste or recycling bins, you could be responsible for fires or explosions that put people in danger?

Batteries, vapes and electrical items, like mobile phones or toothbrushes, can be recycled but they must be handled safely through the right recycling services, or they can cause fires and explosions.

When lithium-ion batteries are crushed, they become extremely flammable and can cause fires in bin wagons and at waste facilities, putting workers and communities in danger. Remember – many batteries are hidden inside everyday items. Check before you throw anything away.

Help Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service keep your community safe and recycle batteries, vapes and electricals at your nearest recycling point.

Electrical items that are still in working condition can often be given a second life through re-use. Many charities accept electrical goods suitable for resale. Donating these items is a valuable way to generate essential funding for their charitable work.

For items that are no longer working, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is collected at all 12 recycling centres in Nottinghamshire, and also at some retailers. This collected material is then transported to a specialised reprocessing plant.

The recycling process involves three key stages:

1. Shredding: The items are initially shredded into smaller fragments.
2. Metal Separation: Powerful magnets are used to extract ferrous metals, like steel. Electric currents then separate other non-ferrous metals, such as aluminium.
3. Plastic Sorting: Various techniques, including near-infrared light and density separation, are employed to sort the plastic by type.

Once separated, these raw materials are then distributed for use in the manufacture of brand new products. 

Organisations in Nottinghamshire, like schools, community groups and charities, can all apply for up to £1,000 to support their project to reduce, reuse or recycle waste.

Through the Reduce, Reuse, Recycling Fund we’ve supported a wide range of projects across Nottinghamshire over the years. We’ve  provided new recycling bins for schools, storage for clothes share charities, compost tumblers for kitchens, workshop equipment for repair cafes, and much more.

Now, we could support your project! Applications are open until Monday 14 September 2026, so - apply now!

The teams at our recycling centres work hard to help residents recycle correctly when visiting our sites to ensure that as much waste as possible is recycled.  They are also there to guide and assist you during your visit, making sure everyone stays safe while using the site, so please ask for their advice or support if you need it.

In return we ask residents visiting our recycling centres to be #SiteKind and show respect to staff and other visitors.

We want to know about your experience. Get in touch and tell us about your recent visit or give one of our team members a shout out by emailing nottsenquiries@veolia.co.uk.

From post-match snacks to next-day lunches, we want to help football fans turn yesterday’s bits and bobs into championship-worthy sandwiches inspired by flavours from around the world.

• No extra time in the kitchen
• No panic-buy meal deals
• Just clever leftover wins packed with big flavour

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