Refuse and recycling carts at the curb
Streets & Urban Forestry

Household Batteries

Madison residents and taxpayers can recycle household batteries by first getting them ready for recycling then bringing them to a drop-off site.  There is no fee for batteries at the Streets Division drop-off sites.

You may have other options for battery recycling as well.

Some hardware stores (Home Depot, Ace Hardware, etc.) and stores that sell electronics (Best Buy, Staples, etc.) may offer recycling for rechargeable batteries.  

Specialty battery stores (i.e., Batteries Plus) also offer battery recycling. 

If you are choosing to use a private store for battery recycling, we recommend contacting them to verify what they take and any costs before showing up with your batteries. 

How to Recycle Your Batteries with the Streets Division

  1. Separate Batteries

    Separate the batteries you have into the main household battery types:

    • Alkaline
    • Lithium
    • Nickel
    • Lead acid
      • Lead acid batteries are for cars, boats, and also found in uninterruptible power supplies.

  2. Tape All Lithium & Nickel Batteries & Certain Alkaline Batteries

    Use clear tape, like packing tape, to cover the contact points of lithium and nickel batteries.

    Alkaline batteries greater than 12 volts should have their contact points taped.

    "Contact points" are usually exposed metal parts of the battery, or they look like little plug-ins.  

  3. Take Batteries to Drop-off Site

    Place alkaline, lithium, and nickel batteries in the correct buckets at the drop-off sites.

    Empty your batteries out of the container you used to take them to the drop-off site.  Do not leave them in the bag, bottle, or so on. 

    Place lead acid batteries, including uninterruptible power supply (UPS) batteries, with the vehicle batteries.

    Drop-off site locations and hours.

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