Lithium batteries should never go in your regular trash or curbside recycling bin. The EPA has determined that most lithium-ion batteries qualify as hazardous waste because they can catch fire or explode if handled improperly. Instead, you need to drop them off at a designated collection point or send them to a specialized recycler. The process is straightforward once you know where to go and how to prepare the batteries for transport.
Why Lithium Batteries Can’t Go in the Trash
When lithium batteries end up in garbage trucks or recycling facilities, they get crushed alongside other waste. That crushing can puncture the battery casing, creating a short circuit that generates extreme heat in seconds. This is a real and frequent problem: lithium batteries are one of the leading causes of fires at waste processing plants, endangering workers and surrounding communities.
Beyond the fire risk, landfill disposal poses environmental concerns. Lithium batteries can leach organic electrolytes, toxic metals, lithium salts, and other harmful materials into soil and groundwater over time. Metals like chromium, copper, mercury, nickel, lead, and zinc have all been detected leaching from batteries in simulated landfill conditions.
How to Prepare Batteries Before Drop-Off
Before you take any lithium battery to a collection point, you need to tape the terminals. This is the single most important safety step. Exposed terminals can touch metal objects or other batteries during storage and transport, causing a short circuit and potentially a fire. Cover the positive and negative ends with clear packing tape. Clear tape is specifically recommended so that waste handlers can still identify the battery type through the tape.
If the battery is stuck inside a device and you can’t easily remove it, that’s fine. You can recycle the entire device. Just make sure it’s powered off.
Where to Drop Off Lithium Batteries
The easiest option for most people is a retail drop-off. Several national chains participate in the Call2Recycle program, which accepts lithium-ion, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride, nickel-zinc, and small lead-acid batteries at no cost. Participating retailers include:
- Best Buy
- Lowe’s
- The Home Depot
- Batteries Plus
Look for the battery recycling bin near the entrance or customer service desk. You can also search for nearby drop-off locations using the Call2Recycle website or the Earth911 database, both of which let you enter your zip code and find the closest option.
If your local government runs a household hazardous waste collection program, that’s another reliable channel. Many cities and counties hold periodic collection events or operate permanent drop-off sites where you can bring lithium batteries along with other hazardous materials like paint and old electronics. Check your municipality’s waste management website for schedules.
Rechargeable vs. Non-Rechargeable Lithium Batteries
Both types require recycling, but they show up in different devices. Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are the ones in your phone, laptop, cordless power tools, cameras, and tablets. They’re typically larger and hold more energy. Non-rechargeable lithium batteries (sometimes called lithium metal batteries) are smaller. You’ll find them in watches, laser pointers, hearing aids, and computer motherboards, often in the form of coin-shaped “button cells.”
Lithium metal batteries contain metallic lithium, which reacts with water. This makes them especially important to keep out of regular waste streams. Both types are prohibited from disposal in general trash and should be recycled through the same drop-off programs described above.
Handling Swollen or Damaged Batteries
A battery that’s swollen, leaking, or physically cracked needs extra caution. If a lithium battery in your phone or laptop has started to bulge (you might notice the device casing warping or the screen lifting), don’t try to puncture or peel the battery out yourself. Place the device on a non-flammable surface away from anything that could catch fire.
For damaged batteries, contact your local household hazardous waste program directly rather than dropping them in a retail bin. Many programs have specific intake procedures for compromised batteries. You can also reach out to a certified electronics recycler who handles damaged cells. The key is to avoid storing a swollen battery in a confined space like a drawer or bag where heat buildup could escalate.
Electronics With Built-In Batteries
Many modern devices have lithium batteries sealed inside with no easy way to remove them. Phones, tablets, wireless earbuds, and smartwatches all fall into this category. For these, send the entire device to a certified electronics recycler. Many retailers that accept loose batteries also accept whole devices through electronics takeback programs. The EPA specifically recommends certified electronics recyclers for devices with embedded lithium-ion cells.
Large Batteries From EVs and E-Bikes
Electric vehicle and e-bike batteries are a different scale entirely. These packs can weigh hundreds of pounds and store enough energy to be genuinely dangerous if mishandled. Don’t attempt to remove or transport an EV battery yourself. Contact the vehicle manufacturer or dealership, as most have established take-back channels. Specialized battery recycling facilities handle the disassembly and materials recovery for these large packs. The EPA classifies most discarded lithium-ion batteries as both ignitable and reactive hazardous wastes, and that designation applies with even greater urgency to large-format batteries.
What Happens After Recycling
When lithium batteries reach a recycling facility, they’re sorted, discharged safely, and broken down to recover valuable materials like cobalt, nickel, lithium, and copper. These recovered metals go back into manufacturing new batteries and other products. The recycling process keeps hazardous materials contained rather than letting them spread through landfills, and it reduces the need for new mining of these finite resources.