Batteries are small, easy to forget, and genuinely dangerous in the wrong bin. A single lithium battery crushed inside a garbage truck or a sorting facility can start a fire, and these fires have become one of the biggest safety problems the recycling industry faces. The good news is that batteries have a well-built drop-off network, and recycling them recovers metals worth reclaiming. The key is knowing which type you have, because the chemistry decides where it goes.
Sort by chemistry first
The label on a battery tells you its type, and that type points to the right path. These are the categories you will run into around a house.
Single-use alkaline (AA, AAA, C, D, 9-volt). The everyday batteries in remotes and toys. Modern alkaline batteries no longer contain added mercury, so a few programs allow them in the trash, but recycling is the better choice and many drop-offs accept them. Check your local rules, because some places do ask you to recycle them.
Rechargeable (the kind in cordless tools, laptops, and many gadgets, labeled Li-ion, NiMH, or NiCd). These should always be recycled, never trashed. Rechargeable batteries carry enough stored energy to spark, and they contain metals worth recovering. Call2Recycle runs a free national drop-off network for them inside many hardware and home-improvement stores.
Lithium-ion (phones, laptops, power tools, e-bikes, and most modern electronics). The highest fire risk of the group. Recycle these through a battery drop-off or an electronics recycler, and never put them in curbside recycling or the trash. A swollen or damaged lithium battery needs extra care, covered below.
Button and coin cells (watches, hearing aids, key fobs). Small and easy to swallow, so keep them away from children. Many contain silver or lithium and are accepted at battery drop-offs.
Lead-acid (car, truck, motorcycle, and boat batteries). The recycling success story of the group. Lead-acid batteries are recycled at very high rates, and nearly all of a used one is reclaimed. Auto-parts stores and scrap yards take them, and many pay a small core charge back.
Tape the terminals
The one habit that prevents most battery fires is covering the contacts. When batteries knock together in a bag or a bin, exposed terminals can short and heat up. Before you store or transport any battery, put a piece of clear or electrical tape over the terminals, especially on 9-volt batteries, button cells, and anything lithium. Keep loose batteries in a non-metal container until you can drop them off.
Where to take each type
- Rechargeable and lithium-ion: the free drop-off bins at many hardware, home-improvement, and electronics stores, or a certified e-waste recycler. The electronics recycling guide covers devices with a battery sealed inside.
- Car and other lead-acid batteries: auto-parts stores and scrap yards, which often pay a core charge.
- Alkaline and button cells: battery drop-offs and household hazardous waste facilities, plus retailer bins that list them as accepted.
- A mix of types: your county household hazardous waste program, which takes all chemistries in one stop.
Search a national locator by ZIP code to find the nearest of these, as the recycling center finder explains.
Damaged and swollen batteries
A battery that is puffy, leaking, hot, or damaged is a hazard and needs special handling. Do not throw it in any bin. Put it in a non-flammable container such as a metal can with sand or in a sealed bag, keep it away from heat and other batteries, and take it to a household hazardous waste facility or call your local program for guidance. For a device with a swollen internal battery, stop using and charging it and bring the whole device to an electronics recycler.
Batteries sealed inside devices
More and more products have a lithium battery glued or soldered inside, from wireless earbuds to disposable vapes to greeting cards that play music. These count as e-waste, not loose batteries, because the battery cannot be safely removed at home. Recycle the whole device through an electronics take-back program and leave the sealed cell where it is.
Questions people ask
Can any battery go in the regular trash? In most places, plain alkaline batteries are the only ones that some programs allow in the trash, and even then recycling is preferred. Rechargeable, lithium, button, and lead-acid batteries should never be trashed.
Why are lithium batteries such a fire risk? They store a lot of energy in a small package, and when they are punctured, crushed, or shorted, they can overheat and ignite. That is why they must stay out of curbside bins and trucks and go to a proper drop-off.
Do I get paid for recycling batteries? Car batteries often earn a small core charge, and scrap yards pay for lead-acid batteries by weight. Household batteries do not pay, because the recycling is a safety and recovery service, and the recovered material is worth less than the cost of handling it.