Cumberland Council has announced that Waberthwaite Church of England School has once again taken first place in the Cumberland Schools’ Battery Recycling Competition, making it back-to-back wins in the initiative’s second year.
The annual competition challenges schools to collect the highest amount of batteries for recycling per pupil, helping to raise awareness among young people of the importance of disposing of batteries safely and responsibly.
With lithium-ion batteries increasingly common in everyday devices, the campaign highlights a growing safety risk. When placed in general waste or recycling bins, batteries can be crushed, potentially causing fires in collection vehicles and waste processing facilities. Collecting and recycling batteries separately is therefore essential.
This year’s competition saw an impressive 201 primary schools from across Cumbria take part, collectively recycling 1.573 tonnes of batteries.
The top three schools in Cumberland were:
- 1st: Waberthwaite C of E School – 139kg collected (2.78kg per pupil)
- 2nd: Walton & Lees Hill C of E School – 13kg collected (1.08kg per pupil)
- 3rd: Broughton Moor Primary School – 43kg collected (0.84kg per pupil)
Waberthwaite C of E School received £300 in book tokens for their winning effort, while Walton & Lees Hill and Broughton Moor Primary Schools were awarded £200 and £100 respectively.
Cumberland Councillor Denise Rollo, Executive Member for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places, said:
“It’s fantastic to see so many schools getting involved and helping to spread such an important message about battery recycling. Waberthwaite C of E School’s achievement is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when communities come together. By recycling batteries correctly, we are not only protecting the environment but also helping to reduce the risk of fires and keep our waste crews safe.”
The competition was supported by national compliance scheme Valpak, which provided free battery collection boxes to participating schools and arranged free collections at the end of the campaign. Waste contractor Biffa also supported the initiative.
Cumberland Council would like to congratulate all schools who took part in this year’s competition for their efforts in helping to protect the environment and promote safer waste disposal.