How to Dispose of Batteries the Right Way

The right way to dispose of batteries depends on the type. Rechargeable batteries, including the lithium-ion packs in phones, laptops, tools and e-bikes, should always go to a battery collection point or hazardous waste drop-off, never in household rubbish or recycling bins. Everyday single-use batteries are allowed in general waste in some places but not in others, so recycling them is the safest habit wherever you live.

Why batteries need special handling

Batteries contain metals and chemicals that are worth recovering and that do not belong in landfill. Lithium batteries add a second problem: when crushed or punctured in a bin lorry or a sorting plant, they can short-circuit and start fires. That is why waste services ask for them to be kept apart from everything else, and why loose batteries do not belong in a skip either, as our explainer on waste segregation in container rentals points out.

Battery types and where they go

If you are unsure what a battery is, look at the label or treat it as rechargeable and take it to a collection point.

How to prepare batteries for drop-off

1. Tape the terminals of lithium, 9V and button batteries with clear sticky tape, or put each one in its own small plastic bag. This stops contacts touching and sparking.
2. Collect them in a non-metal container with a lid, such as a plastic tub or a glass jar, kept somewhere cool and dry.
3. Keep damaged batteries separate. Anything swollen, leaking, dented or hot goes in its own container, more on that below.
4. Take them in regularly. A small tub that is emptied every few months is safer than a box that slowly fills for years.

Where to recycle batteries

• Shops that sell batteries: many supermarkets, hardware stores and electronics retailers keep a collection box near the entrance or tills. In parts of Europe, larger battery sellers are required to take them back.
• Local recycling centres: most accept household batteries, and many take car batteries too.
• Household hazardous waste days: the right place for damaged lithium batteries and large packs.
• Kerbside collection: some councils collect batteries in a small bag placed on top of a recycling bin. Only do this if your local service says so.
• Car batteries: the shop that sells you a new one usually takes the old one back, and some charge a refundable deposit to encourage it.

Batteries built into devices

If a device has a battery you are meant to remove, take it out and recycle it separately. If the battery is sealed inside, as in most phones, tablets, earbuds and many toothbrushes, take the whole device to an electronics collection point. Never try to prise a sealed lithium battery out yourself. Before handing over a phone or tablet, wipe it; our guide to transferring data to a new iPhone ends with the steps for erasing the old one safely.

Swollen or damaged lithium batteries

A puffed-up phone, a laptop whose case is bulging or a power bank that gets hot without being charged needs care:

• Stop using and charging it straight away.
• Do not press, puncture or try to flatten it.
• Move it outdoors or onto a non-flammable surface, away from anything that could catch fire, and keep it in a metal or ceramic container with a little sand if you have it.
• Contact your local hazardous waste service or the device manufacturer about drop-off, and mention that the battery is damaged.

If a battery is smoking or on fire, leave it alone, get people away and call the emergency services.

Storing batteries you still use

Good storage makes batteries last longer and reduces the risk of leaks:

• Keep new batteries in their original packaging until needed.
• Store them somewhere cool and dry; a warm car or a sunny windowsill shortens their life.
• Do not let loose batteries roll around a drawer with coins, keys or paper clips.
• Replace every battery in a device at once, and do not mix old with new or different brands in the same device.
• Keep button batteries well out of reach of children. If a child might have swallowed one, seek medical help immediately.

Clearing out a lot at once

Old batteries tend to surface in bulk during a big tidy, mixed in with broken chargers, cables and dead gadgets. Sort them out before anything heads for general waste. For larger projects where a container is on site, a well-run bin rental arrangement covers the bulky rubbish while batteries take their own route to recycling.

Quick answers

Can I throw AA batteries in the bin?

In some areas everyday alkaline batteries are allowed in household waste, while in others every battery must be collected separately. Check your local rules; recycling them is allowed everywhere and is the better choice.

Is it safe to keep dead batteries at home?

For a short time, yes, if the terminals are taped and they sit in a closed, non-metal container. Do not let them pile up for years.