Batteries

Acceptable Materials

• Vehicle Batteries Only (lead acid batteries)

Prepare for Discarding

• Batteries Must Have Caps On

Where to Recycle Rechargeable Batteries

Rechargeable batteries can be taken to locations around the state for free disposal. Places such as Home Depot, Lowes, Staples and other local hardware stores provide convenient disposal options. Batteries must have ends taped to avoid potential fire hazards. Visit Call2Recycle for nearby locations and directions on how to recycle.

Rechargeable Battery Recycling Facts

• Recycling batteries keeps heavy metals out of landfills and the air. Recycling saves resources because recovered plastic and metals can be used to make new batteries.
• Americans purchase nearly 3 billion dry-cell batteries every year to power radios, toys, cellular phones, watches, laptop computers, and portable power tools.
• Inside a battery, heavy metals react with chemical electrolytes to produce the battery's power.
• Wet-cell batteries, which contain a liquid electrolyte, commonly power automobiles, boats, or motorcycles.
• Nearly 99 million wet-cell lead-acid car batteries are manufactured each year.
• Mercury was phased out of certain types of batteries in conjunction with the "Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act," passed in 1996.

Car Battery Recycling Facts

• Motor vehicle batteries contain about 18 pounds of lead and about one gallon of corrosive lead-contaminated sulfuric acid.
• Each year, an estimated 70 million spent lead-acid batteries are generated in the U.S. That's 1.25 billion pounds of lead and 70 million gallons of sulfuric acid.