How to Safely Dispose of Or Recycle Lithium-Ion Batteries

Where do batteries go, in the garbage or recycling bin? Trick question, NEITHER. Most batteries are considered household hazardous waste and must be disposed of safely. If you’re not sure what types of battery you’re disposing of, it’s safest to assume it’s electronic waste. You may be surprised by how many items you own that used lithium-ion batteries. By 2025, the global lithium-ion battery market is projected to grow to more than $100 billion. You may be thinking, “what is a lithium-ion battery?” It’s a type of rechargeable battery that’s most commonly used in the electronics industry. Here are a few places you can find them:

• Cell phones
• Tablets
• Laptops
• Digital cameras
• Electronic cigarettes
• Power tools
• Wheelchairs
• Electric bikes, scooters, hoverboards, and skateboards
• Electric vehicles

Lithium-ion batteries are recyclable, but they don’t go in the recycling bin. The purpose of recycling lithium-ion batteries is to avoid toxic electronic waste from clogging the landfills and to use the retrieved materials in the fabrication of new products. If you want to dispose of or recycle your old batteries, here are 4 steps you can take to safely recycle them.

How to properly recycle lithium-ion batteries:

1. Remove the battery from the device if possible.
2. Store batteries in a cool, dry place such as a plastic container.
3. If the batteries are physically damaged, store them in an insulated plastic bag to avoid any short-circuiting.
4. Recycle your batteries in a local battery drop-off bin or at a recycling centre.

What to avoid when recycling lithium-ion batteries:

1. Do not throw out batteries in your regular household garbage or recycling bin.
2. Do not burn batteries in a fire, they may explode.
3. Don’t mix damaged, and non-damaged batteries.
4. Avoid storing batteries in metal containers.
5. Don’t store batteries for a long period of time.

Where to recycle lithium-ion batteries:

• If you’re in Canada or the US, you can look for a local drop off location here.
• Check your town or region’s website for information on local waste facilities.
• Look for battery recycling bins at your local municipal office or recreation centre.
• Ask your local library or school if they have a battery recycling program.
• Contact the retailer or manufacturer to check if they have a battery recycling program.

__________________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for more recycling tips and tricks? Check out these other blogs:

• 7 Unique Ways to Recycle All Types of Amazon Packaging
• How Do You Recycle Cardboard? 6 Tips For Your Facility To Get It Right
• 5 Pro Tips For Buying Recycling Bins

CleanRiver Recycling provides a variety of innovative, flexible, and customizable recycling solutions. To determine the right solution to meet your needs, use the CleanRiver product selector. If you have additional questions that weren’t answered in this blog post please call us at 1-866-479-4038 or email solutions@cleanriver.com.