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Comments on What can I do with used disposable batteries?

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What can I do with used disposable batteries? Question

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What can I do with used up disposable batteries, such as AA/AAA?

It used to be that these had to be separated so they can be put through a special remediation process. However, apparently that was driven by heavy metals used in the batteries, and nowadays they don't use the heavy metals anymore, so apparently many places just send them to the landfill. However, even without heavy metals, they do have some significant chemical content in them.

Is it reasonable to just throw these into the regular trash? Or is there some better alternative?

I live in the US and my area does not have any requirements about battery disposal. I asked the city and they told me that just dumping it in the garbage bin is fine.

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Geographically specific (2 comments)
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Extra bins to dispose them are not only present at recycling centers. Each shop/supermarket that sells those is obliged to have a place where to return them to.

Sometimes you also can ask at the information counter to take them back.

(At least in Europe it is law, applicability in the US maybe limited, but asking someone in a shop if they take them back might bring results)

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Applies in Norway (1 comment)
Applies in Norway

If you're in Norway, you can either deliver them to a proper disposal center, or give them to any electronics store free of charge. Every electronics store selling consumer-grade electronics in the country is required by law to accept consumer-grade electronic waste.

There have repeatedly been issues with batteries starting fires in waste handling plants, because people threw them away as general trash. I imagine that to be similar pretty much anywhere.