Hannah Morris, Practice Administrator, Meadows & Wood Hearing Care
Almost every home with a hearing aid in it also has an old one somewhere, in a drawer, a bedside cabinet, sometimes more than one. People often ask me what they’re supposed to do with them once they’ve moved on to a new pair, so I thought it was worth explaining properly.
It’s worth saying first how much has changed. Not so long ago, every hearing aid ran on tiny disposable batteries that needed replacing every week or so, and almost all of them sat behind the ear. Now, most new hearing aids are rechargeable, so you simply pop them on a charger overnight the way you would a phone, and the range of styles has grown too. In-the-ear and in-canal devices are barely visible, and even the behind-the-ear styles are far smaller and more discreet than they used to be. Many can now connect directly to your phone or television over Bluetooth as well, so calls and programmes come straight through your hearing aids rather than a separate speaker. If your old hearing aid is a battery-powered, behind-the-ear model with none of that, that alone tells you how far the technology has moved on, and it’s often part of why people are curious what a new pair could offer.
Whatever the reason you’ve moved on from an old device, it should never go in the bin. Hearing aids and their batteries are classed as electrical waste, and both are covered by UK regulations, the WEEE Regulations for the device itself, and the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations for the batteries, because of the small amount of metal they contain. Most supermarkets and pharmacies now have battery recycling points, and your local council will have a household recycling centre that accepts electrical items too.
There’s also a more personal option. A number of charities restore and recycle old hearing aids, cleaning and reprogramming devices that still work, so they can go on to help someone who could not otherwise afford one. It’s a nice way for an old device to have a second life rather than sitting unused.
Either way, if you’d simply like advice on what to do with an old device, do call in, we’re always happy to point you in the right direction.
Special Offer
If you’re holding onto an old device right now, there’s an easy way to make it count for something more. Find out how on our hearing aid amnesty page. This offer is from 1st October – 31st December 2026.
