What to Do with Old Batteries?

Common battery types include alkaline, rechargeable nickel-metal (NiMh) and lithium-ion batteries. Proper disposal of household batteries is crucial to mitigating their environmental impact. Alkaline batteries such as AAA, AA, C, D and 9 volts no longer contain mercury or hazardous components and are generally safe for regular trash disposal. However, it’s advisable to recycle them. Button cells, nickel-cadmium and lithium batteries contain hazardous components and should always be recycled. Recycling batteries ensures that valuable materials are reclaimed and reused, reducing the demand for mining and preserving natural resources. Efforts to recycle batteries have improved, but many still end up in landfills. The best way to reduce your environmental footprint when it comes to batteries is to use rechargeables. All retail locations in NYS that sell rechargeable batteries are required to accept them from consumers for recycling. Check out the Battery Network for more info on where to buy and recycle them — https://batterynetwork.org/.