Rechargeable Batteries Alternative ways to recycle Illegal in Garbage & Drains Hazardous Waste Batteries can be disposed of at the Lake County Transfer Station & Recycling Center or through the HAZ-DROP program. Never Throw in the Trash Batteries are banned from the trash because they contain metals and other toxic and corrosive chemicals that can leach into the environment. All batteries, including sizes AAA, AA, C and D, need to be disposed of as Household Hazardous Waste. Alternative Ways to Recycle Lowe's Recycling Program Lowe’s accepts rechargeable batteries and CFLs at any of their store locations for free recycling. Find the nearest store. The Office Depot Battery Recycling Program Office Depot allows consumers to bring their rechargeable batteries to any location for free recycling. Find the nearest store. Best Buy's Electronics and Appliances Recycling Program Best Buy will take back rechargeable batteries as well as the following: battery backups (ups), button batteries, cellphone batteries and laptop batteries. They do not accept single-use, car or other wet cell batteries. Find out more. Give to Call2Recycle The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation set up a no-cost recycling program, with collection sites all across the United States and Canada. Find out more. The Battery Solutions Recycling Program Battery Solutions offers battery recycling kits and services to businesses, municipalities and residences. Their programs aim to help people recycle their batteries properly and conveniently. Learn more. The Big Green Box Battery Recycling Program The Big Green Box is a mail-in battery recycling program for both residences and businesses. Their system is simple: order a box, fill it up with your used batteries and then ship it back to the company’s EPA-approved recycling center. Learn more. Did You Know? Battery Explodes in Garbage Truck One battery recently caused an explosion in a UK garbage truck, starting a fire and contaminating over six tons of recycling. Because batteries contain chemicals that can ignite, it is important to dispose of them correctly, and not just toss them in with other trash or recycling. Battery Technology Innovations “A battery will do for the electricity supply chain what refrigeration did to our food supply chain,” said MIT electrochemist Donald Sadoway in a Grist article. Sadoway and his peers are developing new battery technology using materials such as molten metal and saltwater. The energy storage capacity of these technologies could lead to a new era for electric cars and the electricity grid.
