How to Recycle Batteries

As the world slowly moves towards cleaner energy, batteries are increasingly in the news. But batteries have a puzzling twist: what to do with them once they’re dead?

Do you find yourself with a drawer full of loose batteries that you don’t really know what to do with? Whether single-use, rechargeable, or from your vehicle, batteries are recyclable, but it’s not as simple as throwing them in the trash.

States have different policies regarding battery disposal. California, for example, considers used batteries hazardous waste, making it illegal to throw them in the trash. However, the state has many resources for safely disposing of batteries, from local drop-off centers to postal mail services. In San Francisco, residents who live in single-family homes or small multifamily buildings can put bulk household batteries in a tightly sealed plastic bag and place them on top of their closed trash can, while larger apartment buildings can order special collection buckets for used batteries free of charge. Other states have laws regarding the proper disposal of specific types of batteries, such as vehicle batteries. Check your state’s battery recycling laws here.

Just because you live in a state where it’s legal to throw your old batteries in the trash doesn’t mean you should. First, most batteries contain cobalt, nickel, manganese, and other heavy metals that can be potentially toxic, and preventing them from ending up in landfills ensures that these metals do not escape and pollute drinking water or the natural environment. This is quite worrying, considering that only 10% of the 5 billion batteries purchased each year in the United States are recycled. And because the metals found inside batteries are considered valuable, recycling them minimizes the need to extract raw materials.

For example, approximately 50% of global raw cobalt production comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo and is linked to issues such as armed conflict, human rights violations and harmful environmental practices. Mines in the “lithium triangle,” a region rich in lithium reserves located on the borders of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, could bring economic benefits to the state, but not without considerable social and environmental cost; the mining industry here regularly extracts large quantities of groundwater in an arid ecosystem where the only source of water for local communities comes from mountain runoff.

How to recycle batteries

Different batteries are made from different mixtures of chemical elements and metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, nickel and silver, while others may contain cobalt, lithium and graphite which are treated as critical minerals by the United States Geological Survey. And while all of these materials can pose a threat to human health or the environment if mismanaged, critical minerals are also considered “economically and strategically important” to the United States because they present high supply risk potential; they are therefore of great value to the country’s recycling centers.

The recycling process for these batteries involves a process called high temperature metal recovery where the batteries are sorted, cut, melted and the metals extracted. With alkaline or zinc-carbon batteries, materials are shredded to separate paper, plastic and metal. The materials are then used to make new batteries or products.

It is important to check with your local recycling center, waste center or county website to find out where to send or drop off your batteries. Since the materials in batteries are considered valuable, places like Home Depot and Lowe’s may also accept them. Visit the Earth 911 Recycling Locator to find a location near you that will recycle old batteries.

Non-refillable/single use

Before 1996, single-use batteries contained mercury and were therefore treated as hazardous waste, but this practice was gradually abandoned due to the law on the management of rechargeable and mercury-containing batteries. Today, general-purpose alkaline batteries (such as the AAA, AA, C, and D batteries that go into your remote control or your kids’ toys) are made of steel and a combination of zinc, manganese, potassium, graphite, paper, and plastic, all of which, in theory, are recyclable. Single-use lithium batteries emerged about 40 years ago, becoming increasingly popular due to their lighter weight and higher, longer power output. The same goes for those shiny, disc-shaped zinc batteries that go into your watch or hearing aid.

Rechargeable

Unlike single-use batteries, rechargeable batteries (found in cell phones, laptops, household appliances, digital cameras and power tools) are rarely allowed in your household trash can. Instead, recycle them through mail-out, drop-off, or take-back programs. These batteries are more likely to contain valuable heavy metals which can be particularly dangerous to the environment.

Vehicle batteries

Like home batteries, vehicle batteries can be recycled by your car manufacturer or through similar deposit programs once they have reached the end of their useful life. However, as technology constantly evolves, vehicle batteries are becoming more and more efficient.

In March 2021, a project funded by the Toyota Research Institute combined machine learning with insights gained from experimental physics to help understand the shortened lifespan of fast-charging lithium-ion batteries. The goal is to develop a long-lasting electric vehicle battery that can be charged in just 10 minutes. In May of that year, Harvard researchers designed a stable lithium-metal battery that could be charged and discharged at least 10,000 times, a technology that could increase the lifespan of electric vehicles without the need for battery replacement.

According to a 2014 study in Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, reusing electric vehicle (EV) batteries when they have reached the end of their lifespan could reduce CO2 emissions by 56% compared to using natural gas for electricity generation (similar to switching from a conventional vehicle to an EV).

Where to recycle batteries

For small operations and households, residents should call their local waste management district to find out if their community has a collection program or do a quick search using Earth911’s recycling resource.

You can also find a mail-in recycling program that accepts batteries. Most of these programs will sell you a container to store used batteries that can be mailed once filled. If you run an office or business that uses a lot of batteries, it may be economical to purchase a Big Green Box for convenient recycling of batteries and other electronic devices. Battery Solutions is a similar company that provides battery recycling services throughout North America, and Call2Recycle is a non-profit organization that offers multiple resources and options. Or inquire directly with local home improvement stores like Home Depot to find a drop-off location for an even more convenient option.

Once you’ve decided how you’re going to recycle your batteries, take the time to prepare them by placing a piece of clear, non-conductive tape over the ends and storing them in a plastic bag or cardboard container that doesn’t conduct electricity in the event of a spark. Keep in mind that if you send your batteries by mail, the recycling center may require additional security measures.