Batteries
What items can we take?
This category includes all used household batteries. For the safety of your family and our team members, please tape over battery terminals and contacts using electrical tape, clear packing tape, or duct tape.
Alkaline batteries
Rechargeable batteries
Small electronics batteries
Hearing aid batteries
What isn’t in this category?
We are unable to take any batteries that are damaged or bloated/swollen. If the external casing is incomplete, connectors are missing, or the battery has expanded or is swollen, please dispose of it at a local municipal household hazardous waste facility.
Car batteries
Lead acid batteries
Bloated/swollen batteries
Dispose of these at a local HHW facility
Broken or damaged batteries
Dispose of these at a local HHW facility
Electric toothbrush handles and chargers
Vape pens
Batteries.
Your spent batteries contain valuable materials that can be reclaimed for recycling! We take your used batteries, and our partners separate the chemicals from the metals to be used for building other products.
This category includes all batteries that you would use around the house. All the batteries we collect are recycled, so if you have new batteries that you don't need, we recommend gifting them via your local Buy Nothing group!
Why use Ridwell?
When you put your batteries in your Ridwell bag, you know that they will be responsibly recycled with our vetted partners!
Ridwell takes two of the most common types of household batteries: alkaline and lithium. Alkaline batteries have a steel casing that can be recovered and recycled with other scrap metals, while the manganese and zinc electrodes inside can be used as ingredients in making fertilizer.
Lithium batteries include the rechargeable batteries found in electronics and round button batteries. Their next life begins when they are split open using a shredder or a high-speed hammer, then submerged in a caustic water that neutralizes the electrolytes and allows the recovery of the metals. The remaining solution is processed to create materials for new batteries.
Partnering with Ecolights
EcoLights NW began in 1996 in Seattle, WA with a small dedicated team focused on the proper end of life handling of fluorescent and other light bulbs, lighting ballasts, and batteries of all chemistries and types. Their mission is to recycle as much of the resources in these materials as reasonably possible so that it can be reused in the circular economy, and to prevent the toxic components from being released to the environment.
FAQ
Is there anything special I need to do with my batteries for pickup?
To avoid any safety risk to your family or our team, please tape the terminals and contacts of your batteries with electrical tape, clear packing tape, or duct tape. You can read more about battery safety and how to tape your batteries on our FAQ.
Why should I tape my batteries?
Even if batteries are no longer storing enough energy to power a device, they may still contain stranded energy, which could cause a short-circuit and spark.
What are battery terminals or contacts?
For traditional cylindrical batteries, this means the ends of the batteries. For button batteries, this means both sides of the batteries. For 9 volt batteries, this means the snap connector on top of the batteries. For some types of rechargeable batteries, this means the “teeth” or the metal plates/points that connect them to the charger or device. For wired batteries, this means the connector at the end of the wires.
Please make sure to securely tape over any of these contact points!
Can you take corroded batteries?
Yes! If your batteries are corroded, place them in separate plastic bags inside your battery bag - we’ll recycle the plastic as well!
However, we cannot take your batteries if they are damaged (broken and/or leaking) or swollen/bloated - please check with your local household hazardous waste disposal program for recommended disposal procedures.
How do I recognize a damaged battery?
Some damage to batteries is apparent through a visual inspection. If external casing is incomplete, connectors are missing, or a battery has expanded or is swollen or bloated, it is damaged.
What should I do with damaged or bloated/swollen batteries?
Damaged, leaking, or bloated/swollen batteries should be taken to your local household hazardous waste (HHW) facility for proper disposal. Place the battery or device in a non-flammable material such as sand or kitty litter as soon as possible.
Call2Recycle also offers battery drop off sites around the country. You can check the Call2Recycle site to see if there’s a drop off near you.
How should I store my batteries between pickups?
Store your batteries in a cool, dry place away from anything that can catch fire. Only put your batteries into your Ridwell bag after the terminals and contact points have been securely taped.
If your area is experiencing extreme temperatures, please do not store your batteries in your bin between pickups. Keep your batteries inside your home, and only put them into your Ridwell bin the morning of your pickup.
Join the movement to build a future without waste.
