Please keep batteries OUT of the recycling bin.
Why?
When crushed or punctured, batteries cause fires in transit, at the recycling center or at the landfill. Fires from batteries, particularly Lithium batteries, are happening almost daily at Material Recovery Facilities.
Batteries also contain reusable material including zinc, manganese, and steel that can be put back into use if recycled properly. Although hazardous material like mercury in alkaline batteries was phased out in 1996, it’s still a good idea to recycle them.
What to do with them?
In Sioux Falls, you can bring batteries to the Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) facility or to SEAM for recycling.
To reduce your battery waste, consider buying rechargeable batteries. According to the city of Sioux Falls, “Two AA Ni-Cad rechargeable batteries can replace up to 600 single-use batteries.” You could also try using products that rely on solar energy power instead of batteries.
Battery fire at Millennium Recycling:
Thank you for recycling right and keeping batteries out of your recycling bin!
Have something else you’re not sure about? Use our handy Where Do I Take This tool to search the database of local places you can recycle almost anything! If you don’t see what you’re looking for, just ask us! We love to hear your questions and if it’s not listed in our database, your questions help us add it to the list for others to see.