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.
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NEVER toss batteries or battery-containing 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! 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
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:
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
- 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. Do not throw this 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.
