Battery Recycling Program

Batteries contain toxic metals and are illegal to put in the trash. San Francisco residents have three different programs to accommodate the proper collection and recycling for household batteries. Our programs accept most types of household batteries for recycling (i.e. dry cell, alkaline, Ni-Cad, rechargeable batteries from computers and cell phones, etc.).

Lead acid, wet cell, and automotive type batteries are not accepted.
Batteries collected for recycling are brought to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility at Recology San Francisco, sorted, and shipped to companies that specialize in battery recycling. Battery collection and recycling is paid for by S.F. refuse rates.

Important Battery Recycling Safety Reminder
Please tape over both contact points of each Lithium Battery. Look for "Lithium" or "Li" (most button and rechargeable batteries).

Available to all residential customers

Put loose household batteries into a clear plastic bag and seal. Small zip-type bags work best. For safety, please tape over both contacts points of each lithium battery.


Place the sealed bag on top of your black cart lid and set it out on your collection day. Do not place the battery bags inside any of your collection carts.

Available to all apartments

Put loose household batteries into the battery-recycling bucket located in your building. For safety, please tape over both contacts of each lithium battery.

When the bucket is full, anyone can call the number on the bucket for a free pickup.

Apartment building managers can order a battery bucket by calling Sunset Scavenger (415) 330-1300 or Golden Gate Disposal & Recycling (415) 626-4000. We will deliver the battery recycling bucket, an informational poster to hangup, and postcards for you to distribute to your tenants notifying them of the new program.

Available to all San Francisco residents

Residents of San Francisco can drop off household batteries at all Walgreens, most hardware stores, SF Dump and many other locations throughout the city. To find your closest drop-off locations, visit SFEnvironment.org/ecofinder.

For safety, please tape over both contact points of each lithium battery.

What Happens to Alkaline Batteries?
We ship alkaline batteries to AERC in Hayward. AERC is a licensed facility that recycles universal waste (electronics, fluorescent lamps, batteries).

AERC ships the batteries to Kinsbursky Brothers Inc., a transfer storage and disposal facility. Kinsbursky Brothers Inc. is a co-owner of Toxco Inc.

Kinsbursky consolidates the batteries into full truckloads and sends the batteries to Toxco Inc in Trail, British Columbia, Canada, where they are recycled.

Toxco's alkaline battery recycling process is as follows:

1. The batteries are shredded in a mild acid (the acid neutralizes the caustic electrolyte of the battery).
2. The ferrous metals are recovered via magnet and gravity. The metals fall to the bottom and are pulled up for recovery via screw conveyor where they are picked up by a magnet and dropped onto a shaker table.
3. A small percentage of plastic from the end caps of the battery as well as a small amount of paper separator is skimmed from the top of the solution and sent to a Class III Landfill (non-hazardous landfill).
4. The neutral solution is pressed out of the remaining sludge. This pressed brick is rich in zinc and manganese. Any mercury in older batteries will be in the sludge.
5. The ferrous metal and the zinc/manganese are sold as raw materials. The ferrous metals are sold on the metals market and the zinc/manganese/mercury is sold to a large smelter that produces several grades of zinc, manganese, lead, and mercury. This is approximately 85 - 90 percent of the battery.

According to Toxco Inc., they are the only company in North America that can recover zinc and manganese from alkaline batteries; they are one of two in North America that can recycle nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal-hydride batteries; and they are the only company in the world that can recover lithium from any size or type of lithium battery.