Why batteries & UPS need specialist handling
Batteries and UPS systems are classified as hazardous waste — and lithium-ion in particular carries real fire and environmental risk if it’s stored, transported or processed incorrectly. They can’t go out with general WEEE. They need careful handling, the right documentation, and a licensed treatment route. As an Environment Agency licensed hazardous-waste carrier, that’s exactly what we provide.
What we handle
We can remove batteries and UPS alongside your IT in a single visit – see Secure Business IT Asset Disposal.
Why choose Surplex?
The 3-step removal process
Consignment notes, filed automatically
Every destruction and erasure record lands in the Surplex Portal — certificates, serial-level reports and ESG data, available 24/7 and ready for audit.
Reports
A complete, audit-ready trail. Automatically every hazardous-waste consignment note, transfer note and carbon record is filed in your Surplex Portal as the job completes – available 24/7 and ready for audit.
Value-offset pricing
Material value that offsets your removal costs Where batteries and UPS units hold recoverable material value, our open-book value-offset model puts it towards the cost of safe removal and treatment.
Compliance we can prove, not just promise
Every collection comes with a complete, audit-ready paper trail – certificates of data destruction, serial-level reporting, WEEE evidence notes and ESG data, all available in your portal. Our secure facilities include a BS EN 1143-1 rated strong room, and data is destroyed to NIST 800-88 standards. We’re ISO 14001 certified, ICO registered, an Environment Agency licensed waste carrier, and JOSCAR & FSQS registered.
Trusted in the sectors where compliance can’t slip
Frequently asked questions
Navigating the complexities of environmental duty of care and industrial hazardous waste management requires more than basic freight collection; it requires specialized technical precision. We have compiled strategic answers regarding our ADR-vetted logistics, hazardous waste consignment workflows, and ISO 14001 material recovery standards. Our goal is to provide the transparency and regulatory compliance your organisation requires to safely decommission critical power systems.
Yes. Both traditional lead-acid standby batteries and modern lithium-ion UPS packs are legally classified as hazardous waste. It is illegal to move or dump them without an Environment Agency Hazardous Waste Consignment Note and an ADR-licensed transport network. Surplex manages 100% of this compliance paperwork, fully protecting your business from legal liability and fines.
Every collection triggers an automated audit trail. Through the Surplex Portal, you receive 24/7 access to:
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WEEE Waste Transfer Notes (Legal proof of compliant disposal).
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Certificates of Destruction (Serialized proof of data sanitisation).
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Asset Inventory Reports (Make, Model, Serial Number, and Specification).
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ESG & Carbon Impact Data (Quantified Scope 3 emissions savings for your sustainability reporting).
Many businesses don’t realize that modern UPS units are “smart” connected devices. Their internal network management cards store internal IP addresses, server paths, and system passwords. If these are discarded without being wiped, they give hackers a map of your network. We remove these cards and secure them in our BS EN 1143-1 Strong Room for certified data destruction before recycling the metal.
Our ISO 14001 certification proves that our entire environmental process is independently audited. For battery disposal, it ensures that toxic materials like lead and acid are carefully separated, neutralized, and safely recycled into new manufacturing streams. This gives your business an airtight, verified trail to show your sustainability auditors and support your Scope 3 corporate carbon goals.
Yes, we do all the heavy lifting. You do not need to pull the batteries apart or risk lifting heavy modules. Our team handles everything: electrical disconnection checks, unbolting heavy steel frames, safe lifting out of server rooms, and secure loading into hazardous waste containment drums.
Backup batteries are incredibly heavy and full of valuable industrial metals like lead and copper. Because we route these raw materials directly back into the refining supply chain, we can use their high metal value to pay for our on-site removal labor, heavy transport, and legal logging fees. For most large enterprise refreshes, this results in a completely zero-net-cost service.
