Rechargeable Batteries Alternative ways to recycle Illegal in Garbage & Drains Hazardous Waste It is illegal to place batteries in your waste bins. Batteries are considered hazardous waste. They can catch on fire or create a toxic environment for waste workers. If properly collected, battery recyclers can repurpose the metal. Storage tips to avoid short-circuiting and fires. – Place a piece of non-conductive tape or duct-tape on the ends. Do not cover the brand name or chemistry of the battery. – Store batteries in a container that does not conduct electricity (like plastic, cardboard, or glass). City Specific Disposal Options Please check with your city page (residential or commercial) to confirm if additional options are available, such as home collection, drop-off locations, and/or events. (These options vary per city.) Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Drop-Off Your city or county may offer HHW drop-off sites and collection events. – Los Angeles County: S.A.F.E. Collection Centers and events – Riverside County – San Bernardino County – Ventura County Disposal Options For Businesses Hazardous waste cannot be placed in your containers. Schedule a Special Waste Collection by emailing [email protected] or calling Athens’ Customer Service Department at 888-336-6100. Fees may apply. Some HHW drop-off centers may allow drop off by small business generators (check links above). Alternative Ways to Recycle Lowe's Recycling Program Lowe’s accepts rechargeable batteries and CFLs at any of their store locations for free recycling. Find the nearest Lowe’s. The Office Depot Battery Recycling Program Office Depot allows consumers to bring their rechargeable batteries to any location for free recycling. Find the nearest Office Depot. Best Buy's Electronics and Appliances Recycling Program Best Buy will take back rechargeable batteries as well as the following: battery backups (UPS), button batteries, cellphone batteries and laptop batteries. They do not accept single-use, car or other wet cell batteries. Find out more about Best Buy’s recycling program. Recycle With Call2Recycle Call2Recycle is a no-cost recycling program with collection sites all across the United States and Canada. They have locations that accept devices containing lithium-ion batteries. Learn more about Call2Recycle. Cirba Solutions Battery Recycling Cirba Solutions offers mail-in battery recycling kits. Their programs aim to help people recycle their batteries properly and conveniently. Learn more about Cirba Solutions. The Big Green Box Battery Recycling Program The Big Green Box is a mail-in battery recycling program for both residences and businesses. Their system is simple: Order a box, fill it up with your used batteries and then ship it back to the company’s EPA-approved recycling center. Did You Know? Battery Explodes in Garbage Truck One battery recently caused an explosion in a UK garbage truck, starting a fire and contaminating over six tons of recycling. Because batteries contain chemicals that can ignite, it is important to dispose of them correctly, and not just toss them in with other trash or recycling. Battery Technology Innovations “A battery will do for the electricity supply chain what refrigeration did to our food supply chain,” said MIT electrochemist Donald Sadoway in a Grist article. Sadoway and his peers are developing new battery technology using materials such as molten metal and saltwater. The energy storage capacity of these technologies could lead to a new era for electric cars and the electricity grid.