Mum fined astonishing £11,500 for throwing away batteries incorrectly | Personal Finance | Finance

A mother was left devastated after she was fined £11,500 for improperly disposing of batteries. Krystal Ogier, who was in the process of moving house in Guernsey because it was “too expensive”, said her “head exploded” and “crying on the phone” when she was told she had to pay a large sum of money.

Ms Ogier threw away 23 AA batteries from children’s toys, but the waste management company she used, Island Waste, was unaware of the £500 charge per battery.

Island Waste worked with Ms Ogier to arrange payment of the fine, which has now been reduced to £1,000.

The mother explained that she was aware that batteries were not allowed in the one-ton waste bag she ordered online, but she did not realize that throwing away toys with batteries in them was counted.

Island Waste said it encourages the safe disposal of batteries because of the fire hazard they pose. BBC News.

Faye Grime, director of Island Waste, said: “The consequences of a battery fire can be catastrophic for the landfill, spreading rapidly and risking injury to people and damage to property and the environment.”

*** Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us your Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings. ***

Accepting liability and acknowledging Island Waste’s system, Ms Ogier said the rates were “extortion” and the company should have disclosed the fines in “big red print” on its website.

The director noted that the company has been putting out bold messages online explaining the safe disposal of batteries. It also includes a box that customers must check to declare that they have checked the products.

Ms Grime said Ms Ogier had ticked the box and accepted the company’s waste criteria which determined the penalty charge.