Hearing Aids

Can I recycle my old hearing aids?

Yes, there are lots of wonderful projects around the world that would love to repair, refurbish and send your old hearing aids for reuse in developing countries. If you have any old hearing aids, do speak to your audiologist first. If you have old NHS hearing aids you, may need to take them back if they are no longer needed. (NHS hearing aids are not the property of the wearer – they remain the property of the NHS and are technically on loan to you!)
However, if the NHS doesn’t want them back, there may be a collection point for them; in the Audiology department in your local hospital, a collecting bin at your local GP surgery, or in one of the high street hearing aid dispenser shops. For example; Specsavers Hearcare are collecting old hearing aids for Sound Seekers. Some charity shops, may take them too, but if you can’t find somewhere nearby, you can post you old hearing aids to  The Hearing Care Centre in Suffolk who will donate them to Lions International or to Hear4U

Unused hearing aid batteries can be recycled with your other batteries – or again, in GP or hospital’s battery recycle bins.

And what about old audiology equipment?

You’ll find a list of charities and organisations that carry out humanitarian ENT and audiology work around the world here hopefully one of them will be delighted to make use of it!