THE POWER to help save the planet is in the hands of Oxford residents after a new battery recycling scheme was launched.

The city has become the final area in the county to offer battery recycling collection alongside household rubbish and recycling collections.

Any household batteries left in a clear plastic bag on top of Oxfordshire recycling bins will be taken away for recycling.

The city council’s recycling officer Emily Martin, pictured right with colleague Maria Warner, said: “The household battery recycling scheme is a great, easy-to-use initiative and we are really pleased with the immediate and positive uptake from residents.

“Batteries can be simply recycled by placing them in a clear bag and putting them on top of the blue or green wheeled bins on collection day.

“Batteries should not be sent to landfill because of the chemicals that can potentially leak into the ground when buried. This can pose a health risk through soil and water pollution.

“Recycling also helps recover metals, reducing the need to need to mine new materials.”

Cherwell’s scheme began last Christmas and so far this year, the authority has collected more than 300,000 batteries.

Picture: OX54085 Damian Halliwell