Waitrose Romsey now has a battery recycling bin. You can recycle all types of household batteries including rechargeable batteries and batteries from hearing aids and mobile phones.
 
Why should I bother to recycle my batteries?
It is estimated that in 2000, almost 19,000 tonnes of waste general purpose batteries required disposal in the UK. Currently, only a very small percentage of consumer disposable batteries are recycled (less than 2%) and most waste batteries are disposed of in landfill sites. The rate for recycling of consumer rechargeable batteries is estimated to be 5%. The average household uses 21 batteries a year. The UK generates 20,000 - 30,000 tonnes of waste general purpose batteries every year, but less than 1,000 tonnes are recycled.
 
Whilst the exact chemical make-up varies from type to type, most batteries contain heavy metals, which are the main cause for environmental concern. When disposed of incorrectly, these heavy metals may leak into the ground when the battery casing corrodes.  This can contribute to soil and water pollution and endanger wildlife. Cadmium, for example, can be toxic to aquatic invertebrates and can bio-accumulate in fish, which damages ecosystems and makes them unfit for human consumption. Some batteries, such as button cell batteries, also contain mercury, which has similarly hazardous properties.  Mercury is no longer being used in the manufacture of non-rechargeable batteries, except button cells where it is a functional component, and the major European battery suppliers have been offering mercury-free disposable batteries since 1994.
From February 2010, shops selling more than 32kg of batteries a year (approx 345 x four-packs of AA batteries) will have to provide battery recycling collection facilities in-store.  This means there will be lots more places where you can take your old batteries for recycling. 

What else can I do?
Use rechargeable batteries wherever possible - you can even buy a solar powered recharger!
Plug electrical equipment into the mains electricity.
Try to buy appliances that use renewable energy: a wind-up radio or torch, dynamo bicycle lights or a solar powered calculator.