#RecycleRightNY - Batteries - Keep Them Out of Household Recycling!

Batteries keep life-powered, whether it's our laptops, power tools, car batteries, or flashlights. But did you know many batteries contain toxic metals and corrosive materials that can be released into the environment when improperly disposed of? These toxic metals can pollute our soil and water, potentially harming fish, wildlife and even humans. Batteries that improperly end up in household recycling bins can become damaged in trucks during transport or at recycling facilities not designed to handle batteries and can cause dangerous fires.

To properly dispose of batteries, take the following steps:

• Never put any batteries in your household recycling bin with your plastic, metal, glass, and paper
• If batteries are single-use, it's usually acceptable to discard them in the trash. Check with your local recycling program - your county or municipality may have recycling options for single-use batteries.
• If batteries are rechargeable and covered under the NYS Rechargeable Battery Recycling Act, do not dispose of them in the trash. Find a collection location at a retail center that sells rechargeable batteries, use the Call2Recycle program or contact your local Recycling Coordinator for more information.
• If batteries are lead-acid (cars, trucks, boats and other vehicles), return them to a retail location that sells them or other collection location for proper recycling.
• If you have electronic devices like tablets or cell phones that have rechargeable batteries inside, please review proper disposal for electronic waste and cell phones.

For more information check out the DEC Delivers August Newsletter Campaign.

Last updated October 16, 2020