It seems like practically everything has a battery. Batteries are central to device operation, from watches and phones to portable power tools. But when those batteries cash in their chips, where do they go? It’s not good for Mother Earth to just toss old batteries in the trash. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says you’ll soon have 1,000 new locations for battery recycling.
$14 million battery recycle program
The DOE says it’s putting $14 million into increasing battery recycling. Another objective is to create a more sustainable domestic battery supply chain. The funds are coming from the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and managed by DOE’s Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains Office (MESC).
The recycle projects will add more than 1,000 collection points across the country for spent batteries. And if your phone or other battery-containing device needs to go away, those same recycle points will take devices, too. President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is building domestic supply chains from research, to manufacturing, and building a domestic recycling network to provide a diverse and robust material source for batteries.
Program will help industry as well as environment
“With hundreds of drop-off points across the country, we’re making it easier to recycle batteries from old cellphones and laptops,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm in a statement, “in-turn allowing us to reuse the critical minerals we would normally source from China for new clean energy manufacturing. At DOE we’re excited to help create a circular, sustainable domestic supply chain.”
Recycling spent batteries provides industry with additional sources of necessary materials to make new batteries or other products. Retailers can play a vital role in making recycling accessible and easy for consumers. Consumer products including rechargeable batteries, cellphones, laptops, vacuums, and smartwatches contain critical minerals and materials such as nickel, lithium, and graphite that can be reused across the clean energy sector.
Two big companies will be battery recycle drop points
Once batteries are no longer usable, consumers need places to deposit their spent batteries. Retailer store fronts visited by consumers are prime locations for battery collection points and in turn can promote more business for retailers.
So where will these new battery recycle points turn up? Staples U.S. Retail and battery retailer Batteries Plus were selected to receive more than $7 million each to install portable consumer battery recycling drop-offs at their stores.
The two companies will create more than 1,000 new drop-off locations across the nation. Many will be located in disadvantaged communities. This program advances President Biden’s Justice40 Initiative, which set the goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of Federal climate, clean energy, and other covered investments flow to disadvantaged communities marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution under the battery recycle plan.
Source: DOE media release
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I hope this works out. I presently have two stripped laptops I’m putting up with because I don’t just want to sneak them in the bottom of a garbage can
Staples will take discarded electronic items right now. The bin at the local Staples was full of printers, etc.
This is long overdue! One batt. co. was taking re-chargeables a few years ago however, they dropped that program. I got rid of several. I have been saving old batts for about 5 yrs now and have nearly two coffee cans full! So glad to see this.
Also, please note: 9V batts can be a fire hazard by shorting the top two posts. I tape over the tops of 9v’s with elec. tape or duct tape.
Good tip !
About time that someone figured this out!.
Thank you, Russ and Tina! 🙂 Interesting. I am pleased that there will be somewhat specialized places to discard spent batteries. I wonder how quickly they will be “up and running?” I also wonder to what uses spent battieries can be put? Anyone out there know? Thanks again, have a gteat week, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
Is this recycling for rechargeable batteries only? Article doesn’t say.
Hi, Chris. I would say it’s for all batteries, based on some of the information in the post such as this statement: “Recycling spent batteries provides industry with additional sources of necessary materials to make new batteries or other products.” Also, it states: “Consumer products including rechargeable batteries, cellphones, laptops, vacuums, and smartwatches contain critical minerals and materials such as nickel, lithium, and graphite that can be reused across the clean energy sector.” Sounds good. Have a great day! 😎 –Diane
Thanks for the clarification, Diane 🙏 You too!
You’re welcome, Chris. And I am having a great day, as usual. Thank you! 😀 –Diane
Home Depot has recycling bins, but they are only for rechargeable batteries.
Batteries Plus has been recycling batteries for many years. It’s simple, and you don’t need help from Government, pandering.
With an increasing number of Lithium Ion batteries out in the RV community, it would be much better to be kept informed about how to deal with recycling those. Especially the large Solar batteries. That might be more of a problem as those batteries start approaching their End of Life cycle.
I have been recycling non-rechargeables for years at a couple of local natural food markets. Its really hard to find anyplace that will take them.
It’s been very convenient to take our used-up batteries to the Staples here in Crossville Tennessee since they’re also the UPS Drop off for Amazon returns…and they’re right across the highway from Wal-Mart. The folks who work there are super nice and efficient too!
Any place I can recycle batteries is at least 95 miles from where I live. Does the pollution from driving 190 miles negate the recycling?