Battery Disposal Guide

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.

When it comes time to replace your batteries, make sure you are disposing of the old batteries properly so no laws are broken. Check with your local solid waste management district (listed under County Government in your phone book) for any outlets for household battery recycling. For disposal of small quantities of batteries, see if your local hardware/auto parts store or battery retailer will accept them for recycling. Most large battery recycling agencies and disposal companies are usually set up to serve industrial or municipal customers with bulk amounts of batteries rather than individuals.

Battery Type	Common Name	Sizes	Usage Examples	Disposal Classification	Proper Disposal
Alkaline (maganese)	Coppertop, Alkaline	AAA, AA, C, D, 6V, 9V	Flashlights, calculators, toys, clocks, smoke alarms, remote controls	Non-Hazardous	Trash (normal municipal waste). Exceptions: California, which requires non-households to dispose of these batteries in accordance with the California Universal Waste Rules. Also, Minnesota (Hennepin County only) requires these batteries be disposed as a hazardous waste
Button	Alkaline, Lithium, Mercuric Oxide, Silver Oxide, Zinc-Air	Sizes vary	Watches, hearing aids, toys, greeting cards, and remote controls	Hazardous Waste	Household Hazardous Waste Collection Site
Carbon Zinc (non-Mercury)	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, and garage door openers	Non-hazardous	Trash (normal municipal waste). Exceptions: California- requires non-households to dispose of these batteries in accordance with the California Universal Waste Rules. Minnesota (Hennepin County only)- requires these batteries be disposed as a hazardous waste
Lithium	Lithium, Lithium Ion, Li-Ion	Sizes vary	Laptops, cell phones, digital cameras, camcorders, mp3 players	Hazardous Waste	Recycle
Nickel-Cadmium (Rechargeable)	Either unlabeled or labeled Ni-Cd	Sizes vary	Camcorders, power tools, two-way radios, cordless phones	Hazardous Waste	Recycle or Household Hazardous Waste Collection Site
Nickel Metal Hydride (Rechargeable)	Either unlabeled or labeled Ni-MH or Ni-Hydride	Sizes Vary	Camcorders, power tools, two-way radios, cordless phones, AA rechargeable batteries	Non-hazardous waste	Recycle or 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. Minnesota (Hennepin County only); requires these batteries be disposed as a hazardous waste
Sealed Lead Acid	SLA, AGM	2V, 6V, 12V	UPS Back-Up systems, wheel chairs, ATV’s, Jet Skis	Hazardous Waste	Recycle
Lead Acid (Wet cell)	Automobile Battery	6V, 12V	Automobiles	Hazardous Waste	Recycle. Stores that sell car batteries are required to accept up to 5 car batteries from 1 customer for no charge.
Mercury Oxide	Mercury Oxide	Mostly button. Sizes vary	Watches, hearing aids, toys, greeting cards, remote controls	Hazardous Waste	Household Hazardous Waste Collection Site
Silver Oxide	Silver Oxide	Mostly button. Sizes vary	Watches, hearing aids, toys, greeting cards, remote controls	Hazardous Waste	Consumers are covered by the Household exemption under RCRA which allows for these batteries to be disposed of into the municipal waste stream. Non-Consumers must dispose of these batteries in full compliance with the hazardous waste rules. These batteries are also acceptable for recycling by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation's (RBRC) Battery Recycling Program