Recycle Batteries Properly to Prevent Fires

Keep Batteries Out of Curbside Carts – Here's Why

Disposing of Every Battery Properly is a Big Deal!

Everything in your curbside collection carts gets compacted in our collection trucks. Crushed or punctured batteries spark, catch fire or explode. It’s not just unsafe! In California, it’s illegal.

NEVER toss batteries or battery-embedded devices in curbside carts or bulky waste pickups. All types of batteries (yes, even the little ones!) contain toxic and flammable materials!

Real Danger, Real Consequences

DID YOU KNOW?

Our collection trucks COMPACT your Garbage, Recycling, Organics and Bulky Waste Pickup material. When a battery ends up in a collection truck and it is crushed or makes contact with metal or liquid, it can spark a fire inside the truck!

These fires:

Put employees and neighborhoods at serious risk
Damage or destroy expensive equipment
Delay curbside collection and bulky waste pickups
Waste time, money, and resources

It doesn’t stop there...

At Kiefer Landfill and North Area Recovery Station, heavy machinery can also crush batteries — triggering dangerous fires that damage equipment, harm the environment, and disrupt services.

You Can Stop Battery Fires Starting at Home! Here’s How!

It’s free, easy, and only takes a few steps!

COLLECT

Gather used batteries in a repurposed box or hard plastic container.
Keep batteries out of your curbside collection carts and bulky waste pickups.

INSPECT & TAPE

Look for leaks or corrosion.
Tape over the positive (+) and negative (-) ends with clear tape for the following:
- All rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion, nickel-cadmium, and nickel-metal hydride.
- Coin/button-shaped batteries marked as lithium.
- 9 volt+ alkaline/carbon zinc/lithium batteries.

DROP OFF BATTERIES FOR SAFE RECYCLING

Take to a local Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) drop-off facility, or
Find a nearby battery collection recycling center at Earth911.com.

DROP OFF DEVICES FOR PROPER E-WASTE DISPOSAL

Have a device with a built-in battery you can’t remove? Don’t put it in a curbside collection cart or bulky waste pickup! Instead:
- Drop off battery-embedded devices free for proper e-waste recycling at Kiefer Landfill or North Area Recovery Station.

SPREAD THE WORD - DON'T TOSS BATTERIES! DROP THEM OFF INSTEAD!

Share the dangers of improper battery disposal with friends, family, and neighbors. The more people who know, the safer we all are. If you have questions about how to recycle an item, check out our "How Do I Get Rid Of...?" tool.

Bottom Line – Dispose of Every Battery Properly

You have the power to prevent battery fires - drop off batteries - don't toss them.

Batteries don’t belong in curbside collection carts or bulky waste pickups. Drop off batteries free at a local Household Hazardous Waste facility.

Ensure battery-embedded devices are properly recycled through an e-waste program at a local disposal/recycling facility.

Let’s protect our neighborhoods, workers, and the environment by recycling every battery properly.

Battery Recall - Fire and Burn Hazards

Do not throw recalled lithium-ion battery or device in the trash, in the general recycling stream (e.g., street-level or curbside recycling bins), or in used battery recycling boxes found at various retail and home improvement stores.

Recalls will be posted for at least 6 months. Reference all recalled items on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website by searching "battery."

December 05, 2025 – Recall involves INIU 10,000mAh portable power banks, model BI-B41, sold on Amazon. The lithium-ion battery in the recalled power banks can overheat and ignite, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers. Consumers should stop using the recalled power banks immediately and go to INIU’s Recall webpage to verify the product serial number and register for a full refund.
Learn more about the INIU Power Bank battery recall and instructions from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
June 12, 2025 - Anker Innovations recall of more than one million Anker Power Banks. The lithium-ion battery in the power bank can overheat, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers. Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled power banks and contact Anker Innovations for instructions.
- Learn more about the Anker Power Bank battery recall and instructions from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Tools

Never miss your curbside collection day! The app is available to download in the app stores for both Apple and Android devices.