Rechargeable Lithium Batteries – Recycling and Disposal
Two questions we often receive from customers are “How do I dispose of my batteries?” and “Should I dispose of rechargeable batteries differently?”
There are two types of batteries with two types of disposal methods.
All types of batteries should stay out of your recycling cart. Although there can be recycling symbols on batteries, those symbols represent its ability to be recycled at a proper facility or its ability to be re-charged. Batteries are not accepted by single stream recycling facilities.
Placing lithium batteries in your curbside bins at home puts collection crews at risk. They are the leading cause of truck fires in the garbage and recycling industry. The good news is there are collection sites available for proper recycling. Call2Recycle.org is North America’s largest battery recycling program. They offer local options for lithium and recharge battery options, along with a wealth of information.
This is a small lithium battery that ignited at a local recycling facility.
Alkaline Battery Disposal
Bring alkaline batteries back to a store, to a recycling facility, or place them in the trash.
Lithium Battery Disposal
Lithium batteries can be brought to a battery recycling location or household waste collection facility.
Alkaline Batteries
Alkaline Batteries are typical household batteries most commonly found items like toys or flashlights. They vary in size and shape like AAA, and D and are called general use or single use batteries. Thanks to the Battery Act of 1996 alkaline batteries made after this year no longer contain mercury and are not considered hazardous. These batteries are allowed in your regular trash containers for disposal in the landfill. They should not be placed in your curbside recycle cart. However, recycling these alkaline batteries is an option. Many electronic and hardware stores will accept them and ensure proper recycling.
Lithium Batteries
Lithium batteries have some desirable traits compared to other batteries. They are light-weight, have a high charge density and provide higher voltages. These lithium batteries are considered a household hazardous waste and should stay out of both recycling and trash containers. Lithium batteries need to be brought to a household hazardous waste facility or a proper recycler.
There are two types of Lithium batteries.
- Primary lithium batteries are made using lithium metal. These are a longer lasting battery than the traditional alkaline battery. These single-use lithium batteries are often used for power-hungry devices like digital cameras. They are not rechargeable and replace a traditional AA or 9-volt battery.
- Rechargeable lithium-polymer cell batteries use lithium in the electrolyte. This rechargeable type of lithium battery can be used many times and comes in many shapes and sizes. Rechargeable lithium batteries are found in cellphones, laptops, computers, and many other small rechargeable devices like smart watches, ear buds and selfie sticks. At the end of their life, they can be more difficult to remove from a device than a regular click-and-go alkaline battery.
Remember, other than the alkaline types, batteries are banned from curbside garbage and are never accepted in recycling bins because of the risk they pose to collection crews and landfill sites. When batteries are disposed of improperly, they can cause fires or explosions and are considered a household hazardous waste. Together we can keep these potentially hazardous materials out of landfills and reduce the risk of exposure for future generations.
