How to safely recycle and dispose of dead batteries
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- Collect all used batteries until you can bring them to a special recycling collection site.
- Ordinary single-use alkaline and carbon-zinc batteries are considered non-hazardous and safe to place in the trash.
- In some states, it may be illegal to put any batteries in the trash or recycling bin.
With so many batteries powering the gadgets in our homes and s, the question that eventually comes around is what to do when those batteries run out of juice?
While it may be tempting to toss dead batteries into the trash, doing so can have repercussions for your health and the environment, says Jason Gates, CEO of Compology, a technology company focused on building sustainable waste and recycling systems.
According to the California Department of Resources Recycling, almost 4 billion disposable batteries get shipped to the US every year. A majority of them end up in landfills, says Gates, adding once batteries enter a landfill, they can rust and decay over time, allowing heavy metals from inside to leak out into the soil and enter our water supply.
Beyond the environmental impact, improperly disposed of batteries pose a safety hazard. Some types, particularly lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, can cause fires during transport or at recycling centers.
To dispose of batteries safely, you’ll need to plan ahead and keep them stored safely until you can transport them to a proper recycling facility. Here’s everything you need to know.
Important: If you notice white powder residue on your battery, this means it’s leaking. The white color results from chemicals reacting with oxygen. Once this happens, the battery is unusable and should be disposed of immediately, says Gates.
Disposing of single-use batteries
When it comes to getting rid of single-use batteries, the type of battery makes a difference.
Common everyday alkaline batteries — including AAs, Ds, 9-volts, and others — are deemed safe to be thrown away in household trash. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Gates still advises to recycle batteries whenever possible.
All other non-rechargeable batteries, including lithium single-use batteries, as well as button cell watch batteries, contain hazardous heavy metals and toxic chemicals, and cannot be disposed of in ordinary trash or your curbside recycling program.
The best way to dispose of used single-use batteries is to collect them in a bin until you’re ready to take them to a proper disposal facility. For extra precaution, tape the terminal ends of the batteries, and store them in a plastic or cardboard container.
Important: Regulations about battery disposal vary from city to city, but all states except California allow you by law to throw single-use batteries in the trash. However, even if you live outside the Golden State, you should recycle batteries whenever possible, says Gates.
All rechargeable batteries should be recycled
In most states in the US, it is illegal to throw away rechargeable batteries in the trash or curbside recycling bin. And while rechargeable batteries are recyclable, they must be taken to a separate recycling center or collection point that can take them.
In general, using rechargeable batteries over single-use disposable batteries reduces waste, making them a more economical and environmentally friendly choice.
Common rechargeable batteries include:
Once they reach the end of their life, store used rechargeable batteries in a container until you can take them to a battery recycling center or drop-off point. It’s worth noting that certain retailers accept only some types of batteries, so it’s a good idea to check before you go.
Note: Not all rechargeable batteries are removable. If you can’t remove the battery, the entire device should be brought to a certified electronics recycler or a retailer that offers an electronics takeback service, says Gates.
Batteries
So far this year, Fairfax County has experienced four battery-related fires. In 2018, there were six fires caused by batteries. As these numbers increase, so must awareness of the proper storage, recycling and disposal of all batteries.
Alkaline / single-use batteries (AA, AAA, 9V, C or D cell) should be stored using the following guidelines:
- Keep in their original packaging
- Store standing up
- Use a battery storage container/organizer (designed to keep batteries secure/separate)
- Never store batteries loose
- Keep in dry storage area
- Do not carry loose batteries in your or purse
- Cover terminal ends with electrical tape until ready to use
- Do not toss batteries in a junk drawer with other metal objects
RECYCLING
There are four types of rechargeable batteries: lithium ion, nickel cadmium (ni-cad), nickel metal hydride and small sealed lead acid batteries (SSLA’s under 2 lbs.) These should never be thrown away, but instead recycled. When damaged or exposed, these batteries pose a major fire hazard.
Any rechargeable electronic device has a rechargeable battery. Examples include laptop computers, remote control toys, portable power tools, video cameras, cell or cordless phones and walkie talkies. After a certain number of uses, these batteries can no longer hold a charge and need to be recycled.
Additionally, damaged, defective and recalled batteries should be recycled.
Rechargeable batteries and any battery that has been damaged, deemed defective or recalled, can be recycled at one of the county’s Household Hazardous Waste Collection Sites at I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex. Additional recycling resources include:
Batteries labeled with Alkaline that are single-use (AA, AAA, 9V, C, or D cell) do not need recycling. Due to the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act passed in 1996 that phased out the use of mercury in alkaline batteries, single-use batteries are less of an issue when disposed in landfills. However, all batteries could pose a potential fire hazard if under the right conditions. Therefore, take the precautions listed in the next section for the proper disposal of single-use batteries.
DISPOSAL
When discarding Alkaline/single-use batteries (AA, AAA, 9V, C or D cell) in your household trash, follow one of these safety procedures before throwing them away to prevent an accidental fire.
- Place a piece of electrical tape over both ends (/-) of the battery.
- Place batteries separately in a sealed plastic bag
- Place batteries in their original packaging, sealed with tape.
Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling: The Complete Guide
Many of our gadgets and electronics run on lithium-ion batteries, but most people don’t know how to dispose of them safely once those gadgets die. Here’s how you actually do it.
Used batteries have been a problem for decades from both household and industrial waste perspectives. While battery technology has changed a lot, even the most advanced rechargeable lithium-ion batteries may still contain materials that are considered hazardous.
It’s not only environmental pollution that is a problem. During the end-of-life stage of any modern electronic device, poor handling, storage, and disposal could increase the risk of fire or poisoning.
A much bigger problem is that the real “battery crisis” is still ahead of us. And we’re not just talking about li-Ion power banks for your phone.
Disposing of huge numbers of batteries from electric vehicles is going to be the real challenge — one we should master using the recycling technology we have today.
Fortunately, lithium-ion battery recycling is starting to become a widespread practice.
Here’s how you can do your part.
Can You Recycle Lithium-Ion Batteries?
Yes, lithium-ion batteries are recyclable, but the process is a bit complicated. This might be the reason why you’re struggling to find a recycling center that processes this kind of waste.
The first challenge to lithium recycling is that you can’t handle those batteries like any other electronic waste.
Lithium is a highly reactive element.
To leave chemistry aside, let’s just say that dumping a lithium battery into a load of paper recycling wouldn’t be the smartest thing to do.
Increased heat or electric discharge can cause the power cells to burst into flames. Cases like this are rare but are being reported increasingly often.
Even when done properly, stockpiling of water li-ion batteries is potentially unsafe and environmentally risky. Unlike other materials, these batteries can’t be reused directly, so recycling is the only viable solution. In addition, lithium battery recycling reduces the need for new mineral extraction, which is always a win for the environment.
First, qualified technicians need to disassemble batteries into modules. These professionals are trained high-voltage specialists who use insulated tools to avoid electrocution or short-circuiting the pack.
Short-circuiting a lithium-ion battery is no picnic. It may lead to Rapid discharge and overheating that in return generate noxious byproduct gasses that may cause a cell to explode.
You don’t even want me to go on about the cocktail of carcinogenic electrolyte additives that get released into the environment this way.
Once they take them apart, technicians assess which cells still have enough health for reuse in other applications and which need recycling.
The most important point is that you need to find a qualified e-waste recycler that can handle and recycle li-ion batteries safely and responsibly.
Can You Throw Away Lithium-Ion Batteries? Understanding the Impact
No, you can’t throw away lithium-ion batteries with your regular trash.
Not even in your blue recycling bin!
Heavy Metals They Contain Are Environmental Hazard
There is some confusion out there when it comes to lithium-ion batteries and their environmental impact.
Big electronic manufacturers often refer to studies about how lithium is one of the least toxic metals utilized in batteries, and there’s a certain amount of truth to that.
But, as always, you need to take those claims with a (big) grain of salt.
Some types of li-ion batteries contain metals that are highly damaging even in relatively small quantities when these batteries are broken down.
When these batteries end up in landfills, they leak environmental contaminants like cobalt, manganese, and nickel. Not to mention hazardous lithium salts and plastics.
As if that’s not enough, lithium-ion batteries can start underground fires that can slowly burn for long periods, contaminating the surrounding trash with toxic chemicals.
Underground fires are difficult to detect and may create large voids in the landfill. This can cause the landfill surface to cave in, burying flammable electrolytes even deeper in the ground.
Yet an alarming 95% of lithium-ion batteries find their way to landfills!
All this makes little sense when we know that it’s fairly easy to remove more than 90% of cobalt and nickel from these batteries.
Thankfully, some lithium-ion battery technology is replacing cobalt with safer, non-toxic, and relatively common materials such as manganese oxide or phosphate.
Toxic To Humans When Broken Down or Damaged
We don’t have to wait for the batteries to end up in the landfill — they can be toxic even before they are packed with curbside trash.
Damaged lithium-ion batteries may release fine particles with the aerodynamic diameters of less than 10 or 2.5 μm — the notorious PM10 and PM2.5.
The problem is that these particles contain matter-bound metals like arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, or lead.
Dust can enter the respiratory system and cause a variety of health problems, such as cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, carcinogenicity, and endocrine system imbalance.
Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is a hazardous gas that can leak from used-up lithium-ion batteries. HF is highly corrosive and can enter the human body through the skin or by inhaling. It readily penetrates the skin and settles in deeper layers where it releases its toxic components.
It is estimated that between 20 and 200 mg of HF can be released per W of the electric vehicle battery pack.
This easily amounts to more than 80-800 times the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Immediate Danger to Life or Health (IDLH) level.
Do not under any circumstance try to take apart a lithium-ion battery!
Leave it to the professionals who know how to protect themselves and the environment.
Potential Fire Hazard
Proper disposal is also important because lithium-ion batteries can pose a fire hazard when handled or stored improperly.
At GreenCitizen, over 95% of the exploded or bulging batteries that we get are from Apple products that use the Lithium Polymer (LiPo) style.
Some of us still remember the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 recall when improperly designed li-ion batteries were prone to overheating and exploding.
This effect is called the thermal runoff — a lithium cell basically self-heats, bulges, and combusts.
The problem is not going away by itself.
Veolia, one of the global waste handling companies has noted a 38% increase in fire incidents since 2017, due to the presence of lithium-ion batteries in the waste stream.
The UK Environmental Services Association estimates that nearly 250 fires in the country’s waste treatment centers were caused by small Li-ion batteries between 2019 and 2020.
The German Steel Recyclers Conferedation (BDSV) has reported a whopping 90% of fires at their associated sites in 2020 caused by Li-ion batteries.
If a charged lithium cell is crushed or pierced, it will short-circuit which also causes thermal runoff that leads to combustion or explosion.
This is one of the great challenges in lithium-ion battery recycling. You need to do it safely, because setting fire to all the materials you want to recycle is not the best way of recycling.
Why is recycling small household and hearing aid batteries so confusing?
Some recycling programs may tell you that alkaline batteries (AA, AAA, 9-volt, C, and D-cell) are okay for your trash bin because they’re no longer made with mercury in them. But waste management providers like Republic Services say to never put batteries in your trash or curbside recycling.
Batteries pose a fire hazard in the trash since their residual energy can cause sparks. And in some states, it’s illegal to put batteries in the trash. Some have laws requiring battery manufacturers to support recycling programs. This map by Call2Recycle shows which states regulate battery recycling and their rules.
No wonder the proper disposal of household batteries is so confusing.
There are many different types of household batteries and they contain varying amounts of chemicals and heavy metals. Some have precious metals in them that can be recovered and reused, reducing the emissions and environmental impact of mining more. All batteries contain chemicals that can be damaging, some more than others. None of these are good for the environment.
Bottom line: We should always properly dispose of batteries. Follow the recycler’s instructions on how they want to receive the batteries, including putting tape on the terminals of certain battery types.
Go rechargeable — a planet-friendlier alternative to disposable batteries
The first step to reducing battery waste is to switch to rechargeable batteries. In the long run, using these for your household and medical devices is a lot less costly for you and the environment. Rechargeable batteries are available for any type of small appliance, including medical devices. When it comes to hearing aid batteries, one charge lasts a lot longer than a disposable battery.
Once your rechargeable or disposable batteries no longer work, it’s important to recycle them. Using a reliable recycler is the best way to know your dead batteries are disposed of correctly, are not harming the environment, and that materials that can be recycled are captured. The Earth911 recycling search tool can help you find a battery drop-off location near you (just enter your ZIP code). Read on to learn about mail-in recycling options.
Mail-in programs for household and small cell batteries
Mail-in battery recycling programs will charge a fee. There are a few reasons for this. Part of the cost is for the materials they provide you to safely store and ship batteries when your container is full. Other costs are from making sure containers and shipping meet federal regulations for hazardous materials to prevent contamination and fire. The program should provide detailed return instructions, and the cost should include the return shipping fee.
Hearing aid batteries are small, but because you use them regularly they can add up. You may be able to send them back to the manufacturer. Before you pay for a mail-in program, check the package your batteries came in. The manufacturer may have a recycling program or information on how to recycle their products. You can also ask your hearing aid provider if they know of the best way to recycle the types of batteries you use in your device.
The mail-in programs we found generally take most common types of rechargeable batteries and some disposables, like hearing aid batteries.
Mail-in battery recycling programs
The materials used to make batteries, whether they are disposable or rechargeable, can be used again. But different types of batteries require different processes to recycle them. It depends on the chemicals and metals they contain. So every program is going to be a little different in what they accept, depending on their process.
- Call2Recycle offers battery and cell phone mail-in boxes for purchase. When the box is full, you simply ship it back. They take various sizes of household batteries, including single-use alkaline batteries, as well as cell phones. Their smallest box costs 55 and holds 20-25 pounds. Their large box costs 77.50 and holds 40-50 pounds. They also offer bigger sizes for business and commercial use.
- Cirba Solutions, which recently acquired Battery Solutions, offers We Recycle boxes and kits (formerly, Big Green Box) that start at 44.95 for a 10-pound kit with sizes up to 55 pounds. They also offer large collection tubes that work in office spaces and kits for damaged batteries. Their program accepts single-use alkaline and household batteries as well as small electronics, including cell phones, tablets, and earbuds.
- Lamp Master Mailback Recycling offers large volume recycling with their Dry Cell Battery Recycling Kits that starts at 1-gallon sizes for 84.95. They also offer 2.5- and 5-gallon dry cell battery recycling kits, as well as a Lithium Primary Battery Kit for recycling lithium primary and lithium metal batteries, as well as mercury and button cell batteries, such as those that power hearing aids.
Not all mail-in programs accept single-use alkaline batteries. Make sure to read their acceptable materials list. Rechargeable batteries are easier for manufacturers to recycle and repurpose the materials, so these are more commonly accepted.
Have a plan for what you will do with used batteries
You may have other options for recycling your batteries besides fee-based mail-in programs. Your community might offer battery recycling drop-off opportunities — perhaps at e-waste events. Most office supply and electronics retailers offer battery recycling — but they are often limited to rechargeable batteries. Use Earth911 recycling search to locate drop-off locations near you.
Also, watch for community-specific recycling efforts like RecycleMyBattery drop-boxes, or subscription recycling services like Ridwell (currently serving communities in California, Colorado, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, and Washington) that will pick up your hard to recycle items, including batteries.
Whether you use disposables or rechargeables, make sure you have a plan for recycling used batteries when they no longer hold a charge. Have a designated container to collect them and do your research ahead of time so you know where to mail or drop off the batteries when your container is full. Having a plan and keeping old batteries organized will prevent you from defaulting to the trash bin when you don’t have time to figure out where else to put them.
Originally published on April 27, 2022, this article was updated in March 2023.