How to Recycle Lithium-Ion Batteries Safely
Never put a lithium-ion battery or a device containing one in household garbage or ordinary curbside recycling. Protect exposed terminals on intact removable batteries and take them to an approved battery, electronics, or household hazardous-waste collection point.
What to know
- Tape exposed terminals or place each intact battery in a separate plastic bag before transport.
- Take devices with built-in batteries to an electronics recycler or approved take-back program rather than dismantling them.
- Damaged, swollen, defective, and recalled batteries need special instructions and should not go in an ordinary retail collection box.
- Move away and call emergency services when a battery is actively smoking, hissing, burning, or producing dangerous heat.
The direct answer
Do not put a lithium-ion battery or a device containing one into household garbage, a curbside recycling cart, or an ordinary mixed-recycling dumpster.
EPA says discarded lithium-ion batteries can ignite during transportation, sorting, crushing, or processing. Household batteries should instead go to a designated battery collection point, electronics recycler, manufacturer take-back program, or household hazardous-waste facility. [1]
Before transporting an intact removable battery, cover exposed terminals with nonconductive tape or place each battery in its own plastic bag. [2]
Identify products that contain lithium-ion batteries
Common examples include phones, tablets, laptops, power banks, wireless headphones, smartwatches, e-readers, cameras, cordless vacuums, power tools, e-bikes, scooters, rechargeable lights, toys, heated clothing, and many small electronics.
A device without a visible battery door can still contain a permanently installed rechargeable cell.
Keep batteries out of curbside recycling
Ordinary recycling systems are designed around accepted paper, glass, metal containers, and plastics. A rechargeable battery can be crushed by collection equipment, punctured in a sorting machine, shorted by another metal object, or buried beneath combustible material.
Putting the battery inside a cardboard box does not make it safe for curbside recycling. The battery still reaches equipment that was not designed to receive an energized device.
Prepare an ordinary removable battery
For an intact, non-recalled household battery:
- Turn the device off.
- Remove the battery only when the manufacturer designed it to be removable.
- Do not bend, crush, puncture, or pry it.
- Cover the exposed terminals with nonconductive tape, or place the battery in its own plastic bag.
- Keep it cool, dry, and away from loose metal objects.
- Take it directly to a collection program that accepts that battery type.
Keep identifying labels visible when the collection program needs to confirm chemistry or model.
Devices with built-in batteries
Do not dismantle a phone, tablet, laptop, power bank, wearable, or other sealed device merely to extract the cell.
Take the complete device to an electronics recycler, qualified repair or recycling facility, manufacturer program, or local household hazardous-waste service that accepts electronics. EPA specifically recommends separate collection for devices containing non-removable rechargeable batteries. [2]
Erase personal data first only when the device can be operated safely.
Damaged and swollen batteries need different handling
Warning signs include swelling, a raised screen or separated case, cracks, puncture, leakage, hissing, smoke, chemical odor, burn marks, water damage, or unusual heat.
Do not charge, press flat, puncture, freeze, submerge, or carry a damaged battery loosely. Do not drop it into an ordinary store collection box.
Contact the manufacturer, retailer, local household hazardous-waste program, or fire department for instructions. EPA says swelling indicates damage and a potential fire hazard. When there appears to be an imminent fire risk, emergency services may be necessary. [3]
Move away and call emergency services for an actively smoking, hissing, burning, or rapidly heating battery.
Recalled batteries
Search the manufacturer and CPSC recall information when a product has overheated, behaved abnormally, or was included in a safety notice.
Follow the recall instructions exactly. A recalled battery may require a specific return, reimbursement, isolation, or hazardous-waste process. Do not assume that a general retail recycling box is approved for it.
Large batteries
E-bike, scooter, lawn-tool, mobility, and home-energy batteries can contain far more energy than a phone battery.
Do not place them in a small household collection kiosk unless the program explicitly accepts them. Contact the manufacturer, retailer, installer, or local hazardous-waste authority.
Avoid moving a battery that is actively hot, smoking, or unstable.
Confirm acceptance before traveling
Ask the collection program:
- Which chemistries it accepts.
- Size or watt-hour limits.
- Whether devices can arrive with batteries installed.
- Whether damaged or recalled products are prohibited.
- Required terminal protection and packaging.
- Whether an appointment or proof of residency is needed.
A box near a store entrance may accept ordinary household rechargeable batteries while refusing swollen power banks or e-bike packs.
Bottom line
Never put a lithium-ion battery in household garbage or ordinary curbside recycling.
For an intact removable battery, protect the terminals and use an approved collection site. For a built-in, damaged, swollen, defective, or recalled battery, obtain the specific handling instructions before moving or transporting it.
Limits and cautions
- Collection programs differ in the battery chemistries, sizes, and damaged products they accept.
- Household disposal rules can be stricter at the state or local level.
- This article does not provide packaging instructions for commercial shipments or business-generated hazardous waste.
Source notes
- Used Lithium-Ion BatteriesU.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Used Household BatteriesU.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Frequent Questions on Lithium-Ion BatteriesU.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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