How to Recycle Your Old Defibrillator, Batteries & Pads: Defib4Life’s Recycling Scheme

Owning a defibrillator (AED) is a great choice for your workplace, school or community. But what should you do with your AED or its accessories such as batteries and electrode pads when they reach the end of their usable life?

Simply throwing them away isn’t an option. Defibrillators and their components contain specialised electronics and batteries that require safe, compliant disposal. That’s why at Defib4Life, we’re proud to offer a dedicated defibrillator recycling scheme, making it simple and environmentally friendly to dispose of your old life-saving equipment.

Why is it important to recycle defibrillators and AED accessories?

Defibrillators, batteries and pads are classed as special waste. They can’t go in your general rubbish bin because:

• Lithium batteries inside AEDs are considered hazardous waste. If damaged, they can leak or even cause fires in landfill
• The electronic circuitry in AEDs is covered by UK WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) regulations, which aim to reduce landfill and encourage recycling
• Electrode pads contain gels and adhesives that can impact the environment if not disposed of properly

By recycling through a certified scheme, you’re:

• ·       Keeping hazardous material out of landfill
•      Complying with UK environmental regulations
•      Supporting a more sustainable healthcare sector

What defibrillator items can Defib4Life recycle?

At Defib4Life, we’re committed to helping all AED owners, not just our own customers, handle their expired or obsolete defibrillator equipment responsibly. Plus, your old pads can be donated as training aids to training companies so you’re helping others learn how to save lives.

We can recycle:

• ·       Out of date or expired AEDs of any brand
•      Used or expired batteries
•      Old electrode pads, even if they were never used but have passed their expiry date

Whether your defibrillator came from us or another supplier, we’ll take care of it for you.

How does our defibrillator recycling scheme work?

Recycling your old defibrillator equipment with us is simple and hassle-free.

Get in touch

Visit our contact page or call our team. Let us know what you have whether it’s an old AED unit, batteries, electrode pads or all three.

We handle the rest

We work with trusted partners to recycle the equipment in line with UK regulations. This means you have total peace of mind that you’re doing the right thing.

Why choose Defib4Life for AED recycling?

There are plenty of reasons to trust us with your expired defibrillator products:

• ·        Hassle-free: You don’t have to navigate complicated local disposal rules, we handle it all
•       Open to everyone: It doesn’t matter where you bought your AED. We believe every community deserves easy access to safe recycling options
•       A complete AED partner: We support you through the whole lifecycle, from choosing the right AED, to training your team, maintaining your device and finally disposing of it responsibly

Ready to recycle your old defibrillator or accessories?

If you’ve got an expired AED, dead batteries or out-of-date electrode pads cluttering up a cupboard, don’t risk unsafe disposal. Let us help.

Contact the team at Defib4Life to arrange eco-friendly recycling of your defibrillator equipment.

Please return any old, pads, batteries or defibs to:

Defib4life Recycling

Weighbridge Office

Ladygrove Mill

Two Dales

Matlock

Derbyshire

DE4 2FG

Looking to replace your old AED? Browse our range of defibrillators for reliable, easy-to-use options.

Need new pads or batteries? Shop our full range of pads and batteries here to keep your device rescue-ready.

FAQs about Defibrillator Recycling

How do I dispose of an old defibrillator in the UK?

Defibrillators are classed as electrical waste (WEEE) and often contain lithium batteries. You should never throw them in household rubbish. Instead, use a specialist recycling service like ours at Defib4Life, where we ensure devices are disposed of responsibly.

Can I recycle AED batteries?

Yes! AED batteries, especially lithium ones, should be recycled through a compliant scheme. Defib4Life accepts used or expired AED batteries and handles safe disposal for you.

What about expired electrode pads?

Even if they’ve never been used, electrode pads have gels that degrade over time and shouldn’t go in general waste. We’ll take your out-of-date pads and ensure they’re processed correctly.

Do I have to be a Defib4Life customer to use your recycling scheme?

No, our recycling scheme is open to everyone. Whether your AED originally came from us or not, we’re here to help you dispose of it safely.

How much does it cost to recycle an AED with you?

There is no cost to recycle your AED with Defib4Life. We want to ensure compliant, environmentally safe disposal.