Hi Peter

From what I've read there is currently only one place to get them disposed off properly and that's in the USA.
It's a steel manufacturing plant that melts them into molten steel when it's made.

for us its up to the manufacturer to sort it out under the current European law, (WEEE) same as normal batteries and TV's etc. There is a plant in Sweden somewhere that collects and store's them before ship[ping them of to the Yanks.

As for owning old Electric / Hybrids I have a 17 year old Prius that's still going strong !!, doing 60 mpg, well worth the £300 it cost me 18 months ago.

Tony