It seems like most things run on batteries these days, but once they’ve run out of juice you are left with a considerable pile and variety of batteries. The good news is that most of the materials within these tiny powerhouses can be reclaimed and recycled if disposed of properly. This includes Alkaline or Lithium Ion (AAA/AA/C/D type), button batteries, household rechargeable batteries, Lithium (inside laptops, tablets, phones), or power pack rechargeable batteries that power cordless drills and other tools, as well as cordless phones (oh yeah, they’re still out there!).
It can be confusing to know what to do with them all. Luckily, you’ve got options.
- At Home:
- You can schedule a Special Item Pick up, and for $5 SPU will pick up to two 1-gallon plastic bags of batteries at your home.
- Free Drop off locations:
- The North and South Transfer stations
- The North and South Household Hazardous Waste sites
- Retail locations throughout the city that are part of the Call2Recycle program
Batteries are recyclable, but never in your home recycling cart.
They must be handled separately since when crushed or combined with other materials they can catch fire or explode.
Tapping into the Special Item Pickup service or a Drop Off locations keeps batteries separate and allows all that amazing power-packed chemistry to be recycled and used for new things.
So while your battery may have died on you, it’s still far from the end of its life if recycled properly.