Recycle Your Batteries

Collect, Protect and Drop Off your batteries

Batteries make our lives more convenient, but that freedom to go unplugged comes with a responsibility. Throwing away batteries, especially rechargeable batteries, can pose risks to people, property, and the environment. 

Call2Recycle makes it easy to recycle your batteries instead. 

Just Collect, Protect and Drop Off your used batteries at one of our participating drop-off locations across the U.S. You can find our drop boxes at general retailers, home improvement stores, grocery stores, municipal recycling centers, and other facilities near you.

COLLECT

Don’t throw out that one used battery you just replaced. Put it in a non-metal container such as a shoebox, plastic takeout container, or glass jar. Soon enough, they’ll add up.
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PROTECT

Reduce the risk of sparks. Bag or tape your batteries when storing them or before dropping them off for recycling.

Keep your batteries in a cool, dry location, away from the sun.

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DROP OFF

Give your batteries a new life and drop off your collected batteries at participating locations across the U.S. Find the closest drop-off location here.

Convenient Locations across the U.S.

We have convenient drop-off locations across the U.S., including retailers, municipal buildings, and community recycling centers.

Look for these boxes

While some of our valued partners have established dedicated recycling centers, some feature our specially designed collection box. If you don’t see it, please ask an employee for assistance. It may be stored behind the counter.

How to handle damaged batteries

Do you have a battery that is swollen, corroded, leaking, or showing burn marks? Or one that has been recalled by the manufacturer? It may require special handling. Damaged lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries are considered especially hazardous and should not be placed in a regular Call2Recycle box for recycling. Follow instructions here for handling these unusual circumstances.

More frequently asked questions

Recycling Program Overview

How do I recycle?

The program is simple. Just collect the batteries and cellphones that you are no longer using. Find the nearest Call2Recycle collection site from the more than 30,000 across the U.S. and Canada, either by visiting our location finder or calling 1.877.2.RECYCLE and drop the items off at no charge. The collection site will ship the batteries and cellphones to our recycling partners, where they are sorted and processed for recycling. Depending on their condition, cellphones may be refurbished and resold with proceeds used to help fund the cellphone collection program and public education efforts. For a step-by-step guide on how to recycle, click here.

What do you accept?

We currently collect and recycle all batteries weighing less than 11 lbs. (5 kg) and cellphones. We do not accept wet-cell or car batteries. Visit the Earth911.com website to find out where you can recycle the batteries we don’t currently accept.

Is it free to recycle or is there a charge to recycle?

Consumers are invited to take advantage of our drop-off collection network at no cost.  Businesses are invited to utilize our online store to purchase collection kits.

Do I have to collect from the public to participate as a collection site?

You don’t need to collect from the public to become a Call2Recycle collection site. Many organizations choose to collect only from internal locations and not from the public. Either option is available. You can use our online tool to help determine the best program option for you.  You can also contact our Customer Service Team or call 877.723.1297 for details.

Where can I recycle?

Our drop-off locator can help you quickly find the nearest location of the more than 30,000 participating locations in the U.S. and Canada. These locations include major retailers such as Best Buy, The Home Depot, Lowe’s, RadioShack and Staples. We also have internal collection sites at hospitals, military bases, businesses and government agencies. Check with your facilities manager to see if your employer is an internal collection site. On the go? Visit our mobile website or call us toll-free at 1.877.2.RECYCLE.

Who pays for the recycling program?

Major product and battery manufacturers across the globe, called industry stewards, fund our recycling program to ensure that the batteries and cellphones that they introduce into the marketplace are being responsibly recycled when they reach their end of life. These industry stewards are committed to keeping rechargeable batteries and cellphones out of the solid waste stream and recycling them to create new products. You can support participating manufacturers by looking for products featuring the Call2Recycle Battery Recycling Seal.

Why should I recycle my rechargeable batteries?

The number of wireless products powered by rechargeable batteries is skyrocketing. It is increasingly important that people recognize that rechargeable batteries and cellphones may contain metals that can be harmful to the environment if not disposed of properly. Our goal is to divert these potentially harmful materials from landfills and recycle their byproducts into new products.

What do you do with the batteries and cellphones I drop off?

All our collected batteries are sent to sorters and processors in the U.S. and Canada. These companies sort the batteries by chemistry, and then converted into byproducts that are used to make new products such as batteries, stainless steel alloy and cement additives. Cellphones are refurbished and resold when possible, or recycled, with the proceeds being used to fund the program. You can see how we recycle batteries in this video.

Do I really make a difference when I recycle?

Yes! You are keeping potentially hazardous material from entering your local landfill and recycling them into other uses. Every single person’s effort makes a difference. Without environmentally committed people, we would not have been able to recycle more than 75 million pounds of batteries since our program’s inception in 1996.