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North Carolina Battery and Electronics Disposal Guide for Households - Where to Safely Recycle Used Batteries and Electronics

North Carolina Battery and Electronics Recycling and Disposal Guide for Households

If you are having a difficult time finding out what to do with used batteries and where you can take them to be recycled or safely treated and disposed, then you should find a solution here on this page. Whether you have a AAA, AA, C, D, watch, button, hearing aid or car battery, there is a solution.

Where to Recycle Your Batteries

Use our waste & recycling drop-off locator to find the nearest facility to you or Download our Quick Reference Waste Guide .

Batteries Lead acid vehicle,rechargeable computer/power tools, etc. View locations. (Lead Acid at Site 11)​R View locations.

Computer Equipment​ CPU's, monitors, laptops, printers, peripherals​ R​View locations. Electronics​ Any electronic device with a cord R​View locations.

R = RECYCLED RU = REUSED D = DISPOSED


Recycling Electronics


If you can't find a location above:

Take the rechargeable batteries to any of the participating retailers. In the U.S.: Alltel, Batteries Plus, Best Buy, Black & Decker, Cingular Wireless, The Home Depot, Milwaukee Electric Tool, Orchard Supply, Porter Cable Service Center, RadioShack, Remington Product Company, Sears, Staples, Target, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless, and Wal-Mart. And in Canada: Battery Plus, Bell Mobility, Canadian Tire, FIDO/Microcell, Future Shop, The Home Depot, Home Hardware, London Drugs, Makita Factory Service Centers, Personal Edge/Centre du Rasoir, RadioShack Canada, Revy, Sasktel, Sears, The Sony Store, Telus Mobility and Zellers.

Use the RBRC collection site locator, or call the consumer helpline, 1-800-8-BATTERY, to find the retail collection site nearest you.

Non-rechargeable (typically "alkaline batteries") still don't have a recycler and general just must be disposed in the trash. If you have large quantities or are a business, talk with your permitted sanitary landfill operator (otherwise known as "sanitation services", the "dump" or "landfill"). Waste batteries should not be burned because of the metals, and they could explode. When burned, some heavy metals such as mercury may vaporize and escape into the air, and cadmium and lead may end up in the ash.

Click here for one more place to try to find a recycling location near you if none of the options above were suitable.

Contact your local or county health department, waste disposal operator, extension educator, recycling facility, call the EPA Hotline and ask for a copy of the publication: "Used Dry Cell Batteries" - phone (800) 424-9346. This publication does not address nonhousehold waste battery sources such as medical, business, etc.

Summary - Real Disposal and Recycling Methods

Check with your local solid waste management district (listed under County Government in your phone book) for any outlets for household battery recycling. See if your local jeweler, pharmacy or battery retailer will accept button batteries for recycling. Ohio EPA keeps a list of battery recycling and disposal companies on file; however, these companies are usually set up to serve industrial or municipal customers with bulk amounts of batteries rather than individuals.

Battery Type

Common Name

Sizes Available

Examples of Use

Disposal classification

Proper Disposal

Alkaline

( manganese)

Coppertop, Alkaline AAA, AA, C, D, 6V, 9V Flashlights, calculators, toys, clocks, smoke alarms, remote controls These batteries are classified by the federal government as non-hazardous waste. Place in the trash (normal municipal waste). Exceptions: California which requires non-households to dispose of these batteries in accordance with the California Universal Waste Rules.
Button Mercuric Oxide, Silver Oxide, Lithium, Alkaline, Zinc-Air Sizes vary Watches, hearing aids, toys, greeting cards, remote controls hazardous waste Bring to a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Site
Carbon Zinc "Classic", Heavy Duty, General Purpose, All Purpose, Power Cell AAA, AA, C, D

6V, 9V

Flashlights, calculators, toys, clocks, smoke alarms, remote controls, transistor radios, garage door openers These batteries are classified by the federal government as non-hazardous waste. Place in the trash (normal municipal waste). Exceptions: California - requires non-households to dispose of these batteries in accordance with the California Universal Waste Rules. Also, Minnesota (Hennipen County only) requires these batteries be disposed as a hazardous waste.
Lithium / Lithium Ion Usually has "lithium" label on the battery 3V, 6V, 3V button Cameras, calculators, computer memory back-up, tennis shoes These batteries are classified by the federal government as non-hazardous waste They can be recycled! To find a center near you that will take them, click here!
Nickel-Cadmium (Rechargeable) Either unlabeled or labeled "Ni-Cd" AAA, AA, C, D, 6V, 9V Flashlights, toys, cellular phones, power tools, computer packs hazardous waste To find a center near you that will take them, click here! or Bring to a Household HazardousWaste Collection Site
Nickel Metal Hydride (Rechargeable) Either unlabeled or labeled "Ni-Li" or "Ni-Hydride) AAA, AA, C, D, 6V, 9V Flashlights, toys, cellular phones, power tools, computer packs non-hazardous waste - except in California, which requires non-households to dispose of these batteries in accordance with the California Universal Waste Rules. Safe for disposal in the normal municipal waste stream. These batteries are also acceptable for recycling by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation's (RBRC) Battery Recycling Program.
Reusable Alkaline Manganese (Rechargeable) Renewal AAA, AA, C, D Flashlights, calculators, toys, clocks, radios, remote controls Place in the trash
Sealed Lead Acid (Rechargeable)

"Gel," VRB, AGM, Cyclone, El Power, Dynasty, Gates, Lithonia, Saft, Panasonic, Yuasa Multiples of 2 Volts: 2V, 6V, 12V Video cameras, power tools, wheelchairs, ATV's, metal detectors, clocks, cameras hazardous waste To find a center near you that will take them, click here! Bring to a Household HazardousWaste Collection Site
Lead Acid Vehicle Batteries Autozone, Sears Die Hard, Yuasa 12V, 6V Cars, trucks, motorcycles hazardous waste Take back to place of purchase <
Most places that sell car batteries will also accept them for recycling. There may be a fee for this service.
metal recycler may pay you for your car battery. Look in the yellow pages under "Recycling Centers" for a list of recyclers.
Silver Oxide Panasonic Silver Oxide Sizes vary Watches, hearing aids, toys, greeting cards, remote controls hazardous waste Non-Consumers must dispose of these batteries in full compliance with the hazardous waste rules. Consumers are covered by the Household exemption under RCRA which allows for these batteries to be disposed of into the municipal waste stream. These batteries are also acceptable for recycling by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation's (RBRC) Battery Recycling Program.

Other related information and sources:

Battery Manufacturer contact information

Keep in mind that the battery manufacturers have funded the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation's (RBRC) Battery Recycling Program to find a drop off location for batteries nearest you, so that you wouldn't need to call the manufacturers directly. To find a location, click to visit the RBRC homepage or call 1-800-8-BATTERY.

Manufacturer (click the name for their website) Phone number Email address or contact form
Panasonic 1-800-211-PANA (7262) Panasonic contact form
Duracell Duracell contact form
Eveready Energizer (i.e., the Energizer Bunny)

Other sources of information, Links and Publications

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Interesting Reads:

THE PREPPER'S CANNING & PRESERVING BIBLE: [13 in 1] Your Path to Food Self-Sufficiency. Canning, Dehydrating, Fermenting, Pickling & More, Plus The Food Preservation Calendar for a Sustainable Pantry

The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre! Paperback

The Citizens' Guide to Geologic Hazards: A Guide to Understanding Geologic Hazards Including Asbestos, Radon, Swelling Soils, Earthquakes, Volcanoes

The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming

Book: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History Paperback




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