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If you are having a difficult time finding out what to do with used batteries and where you can take them to be recycled or safely treated and disposed, then you should find a solution here on this page. Whether you have a AAA, AA, C, D, watch, button, hearing aid or car battery, there is a solution.
Use our waste & recycling drop-off locator to find the nearest facility to you or Download our Quick Reference Waste Guide .
Batteries Lead acid vehicle,rechargeable computer/power tools, etc. View locations. (Lead Acid at Site 11)R View locations.
Computer Equipment CPU's, monitors, laptops, printers, peripherals RView locations. Electronics Any electronic device with a cord RView locations.
R = RECYCLED RU = REUSED D = DISPOSED
Take the rechargeable batteries to any of the participating retailers. In the U.S.: Alltel, Batteries Plus, Best Buy, Black & Decker, Cingular Wireless, The Home Depot, Milwaukee Electric Tool, Orchard Supply, Porter Cable Service Center, RadioShack, Remington Product Company, Sears, Staples, Target, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless, and Wal-Mart. And in Canada: Battery Plus, Bell Mobility, Canadian Tire, FIDO/Microcell, Future Shop, The Home Depot, Home Hardware, London Drugs, Makita Factory Service Centers, Personal Edge/Centre du Rasoir, RadioShack Canada, Revy, Sasktel, Sears, The Sony Store, Telus Mobility and Zellers.
Use the RBRC collection site locator, or call the consumer helpline, 1-800-8-BATTERY, to find the retail collection site nearest you.
Non-rechargeable (typically "alkaline batteries") still don't have a recycler and general just must be disposed in the trash. If you have large quantities or are a business, talk with your permitted sanitary landfill operator (otherwise known as "sanitation services", the "dump" or "landfill"). Waste batteries should not be burned because of the metals, and they could explode. When burned, some heavy metals such as mercury may vaporize and escape into the air, and cadmium and lead may end up in the ash.
Click here for one more place to try to find a recycling location near you if none of the options above were suitable.
Contact your local or county health department, waste disposal operator, extension educator, recycling facility, call the EPA Hotline and ask for a copy of the publication: "Used Dry Cell Batteries" - phone (800) 424-9346. This publication does not address nonhousehold waste battery sources such as medical, business, etc. |
Check with your local solid waste management district (listed under County Government in your phone book) for any outlets for household battery recycling. See if your local jeweler, pharmacy or battery retailer will accept button batteries for recycling. Ohio EPA keeps a list of battery recycling and disposal companies on file; however, these companies are usually set up to serve industrial or municipal customers with bulk amounts of batteries rather than individuals.
Battery Type |
Common Name |
Sizes Available |
Examples of Use |
Disposal classification |
Proper Disposal |
Alkaline
( manganese) |
Coppertop, Alkaline | AAA, AA, C, D, 6V, 9V | Flashlights, calculators, toys, clocks, smoke alarms, remote controls | These batteries are classified by the federal government as non-hazardous waste. | Place in the trash (normal municipal waste). Exceptions: California which requires non-households to dispose of these batteries in accordance with the California Universal Waste Rules. |
Button | Mercuric Oxide, Silver Oxide, Lithium, Alkaline, Zinc-Air | Sizes vary | Watches, hearing aids, toys, greeting cards, remote controls | hazardous waste | Bring to a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Site |
Carbon Zinc | "Classic", Heavy Duty, General Purpose, All Purpose, Power Cell | AAA, AA, C, D
6V, 9V |
Flashlights, calculators, toys, clocks, smoke alarms, remote controls, transistor radios, garage door openers | These batteries are classified by the federal government as non-hazardous waste. | Place in the trash (normal municipal waste). Exceptions: California - requires non-households to dispose of these batteries in accordance with the California Universal Waste Rules. Also, Minnesota (Hennipen County only) requires these batteries be disposed as a hazardous waste. |
Lithium / Lithium Ion | Usually has "lithium" label on the battery | 3V, 6V, 3V button | Cameras, calculators, computer memory back-up, tennis shoes | These batteries are classified by the federal government as non-hazardous waste | They can be recycled! To find a center near you that will take them, click here! |
Nickel-Cadmium (Rechargeable) | Either unlabeled or labeled "Ni-Cd" | AAA, AA, C, D, 6V, 9V | Flashlights, toys, cellular phones, power tools, computer packs | hazardous waste | To find a center near you that will take them, click here! or Bring to a Household HazardousWaste Collection Site |
Nickel Metal Hydride (Rechargeable) | Either unlabeled or labeled "Ni-Li" or "Ni-Hydride) | AAA, AA, C, D, 6V, 9V | Flashlights, toys, cellular phones, power tools, computer packs | non-hazardous waste - except in California, which requires non-households to dispose of these batteries in accordance with the California Universal Waste Rules. | Safe for disposal in the normal municipal waste stream. These batteries are also acceptable for recycling by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation's (RBRC) Battery Recycling Program. |
Reusable Alkaline Manganese (Rechargeable) | Renewal | AAA, AA, C, D | Flashlights, calculators, toys, clocks, radios, remote controls | Place in the trash | |
Sealed Lead Acid (Rechargeable)
|
"Gel," VRB, AGM, Cyclone, El Power, Dynasty, Gates, Lithonia, Saft, Panasonic, Yuasa | Multiples of 2 Volts: 2V, 6V, 12V | Video cameras, power tools, wheelchairs, ATV's, metal detectors, clocks, cameras | hazardous waste | To find a center near you that will take them, click here! Bring to a Household HazardousWaste Collection Site |
Lead Acid Vehicle Batteries | Autozone, Sears Die Hard, Yuasa | 12V, 6V | Cars, trucks, motorcycles | hazardous waste | Take back to place of purchase
< Most places that sell car batteries will also accept them for recycling. There may be a fee for this service. metal recycler may pay you for your car battery. Look in the yellow pages under "Recycling Centers" for a list of recyclers. |
Silver Oxide | Panasonic Silver Oxide | Sizes vary | Watches, hearing aids, toys, greeting cards, remote controls | hazardous waste | Non-Consumers must dispose of these batteries in full compliance
with the hazardous waste rules. Consumers are covered by the Household exemption
under RCRA which
allows for these batteries to be disposed of into the municipal waste
stream. These batteries are also acceptable for
recycling by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation's (RBRC) Battery Recycling Program. |
Keep in mind that the battery manufacturers have funded the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation's (RBRC) Battery Recycling Program to find a drop off location for batteries nearest you, so that you wouldn't need to call the manufacturers directly. To find a location, click to visit the RBRC homepage or call 1-800-8-BATTERY.
Manufacturer (click the name for their website) | Phone number | Email address or contact form |
Panasonic | 1-800-211-PANA (7262) | Panasonic contact form |
Duracell | Duracell contact form | |
Eveready Energizer (i.e., the Energizer Bunny) |
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Interesting Reads:
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The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre! Paperback
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The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming
Book: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History Paperback