I call shenanigans on Sainsbury’s battery recycling

I’ve been trying to find a way to recycle my old batteries. Unlike in Germany or Belgium where you can just dump them in bins at electrical retailers, no one wants to take them here. My useless local council—Southwark, whose recycling offering is so limited that they won’t even take brown paper—has one place that takes them, but it’s inconveniently located at the other end of the borough, out of my way.

Sainsbury’s, however, have managed to get favourable press out of their battery recycling offer.

From November [2006], Freepost envelopes will be available in stores nationwide to allow customers to send off their old batteries, as well as mobile phones and inkjet printer cartridges, all of which will be re-used or recycled.

The idea is that you pick up a freepost battery recycling envelope from one of their stores, put your batteries in it, and stick it in the post box.

It’s a great idea, except that none of their stores seem to have any of these mythical envelopes, or even any idea what I’m talking about when I ask for one.

I’m sceptical that these envelopes actually exist. It would, after all, be a great way to get positive media coverage without it actually costing anything.

Is it just another example of greenwashing by the supermarkets, or am I too cynical? Has anyone actually managed to obtain one of these recycling envelopes? Prove me wrong!

2007-09-01 12:20 UTC. Comments: 4.

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  1. LW

    Wrote at 2007-09-25 02:17 UTC using Firefox 2.0.0.7 on Windows XP:

    Ah! the amazing non-existent FREEPOST envelopes. I have had the werry identical problem.

    However, you can use FREEPOST addresses on any envelope; you can just stick your old batts in a jiffy bag and send them to:

    Sainsbury’s
    FREEPOST ANG20589
    PO Box 137
    WYMONDHAM
    NR9 5BR

    FREEPOST – so no stamnp needed

  2. Peter

    Wrote at 2007-11-08 11:40 UTC using Firefox 2.0.0.9 on Windows Vista:

    you can get bags sent out by calling freephone number
    FREEPHONE 0800 9705097.
    recylce phones, inkjet cartridges as well as any batteries using these freepost envelopes.

  3. charley

    Wrote at 2008-04-24 11:04 UTC using Firefox 2.0.0.14 on Mac OS X:

    I have asked at sainsbury’s many times and they have no idea what I am talking about I have called the and called 0800 9705097 who informed me they do not recycle batteries.

    What a wonderful world we live in.

  4. charley

    Wrote at 2008-04-24 11:14 UTC using Firefox 2.0.0.14 on Mac OS X:

    called sainsbury’s and the freepost address FREEPOST ANG20589 is suspended as people were apparently posting car batteries.

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