Guide for Reuse, Repair, Recycling, and Safe Disposal
for Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and the City of Palo Alto
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Household Batteries

Batteries - Household - Single-Use

Primary/Single-Use batteries cannot be recharged and must be disposed of once they wear out. Alkaline, lithium, silver oxide, zinc-air, zinc-carbon, and zinc-chloride are all types of primary batteries.

Household Hazardous Waste

This item should never be put in a curbside bin. For more information visit our household hazardous waste page.

Find more information on our Battery Fact Sheet.

Vendors

Vendor Address City Destination Disposal Method Notes
Lowe's 491 Bayshore Blvd. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Central Contra Costa HHW Collection Facility 4797 Imhoff Pl. Martinez Recycle Free Drop-off
Oakland Public Library (Rockridge Branch) 5366 College Ave Oakland Recycle Free Drop-off Tape battery terminals.
Best Buy Recycling and Trade-in Program (Dublin) 4820 Dublin Blvd. Dublin Recycle Free Drop-off rechargeable batteries, battery backups (UPS), batteries for cellphones, laptops, and button batteries
Pagano's Hardware Mart 640A Central Avenue Alameda Recycle Free Drop-off No large quantities.
Walgreens 459 Powell St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Walgreens 2145 Market St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Walgreens 2494 San Bruno Ave. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Walgreens 135 Powell St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Recology SF Business Haz. Waste Drop-Off (VSQG Program) 501 Tunnel Ave. San Francisco Recycle Drop-off for a Fee Quantity limits and disposal fees apply. You must qualify and make an appointment in advance. San Francisco businesses only.
WM Think Green From Home 172 98th Ave Oakland Recycle Mail-in for a Fee Online service. Programs for residents and businesses.
Discount Builders Supply 1695 Mission St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off All household-type, laptop, cell phone, and rechargeable batteries accepted. Please tape over lithium battery contacts.
Lowe's 811 E. Arques Ave Sunnyvale Recycle Free Drop-off
Central Contra Costa Household Battery Recycling Program Recycle Free Drop-off
Biologic Environmental Services & Waste Solutions 23490 Connecticut St Hayward Recycle Pick-up for a Fee Call for specific info on this waste
Best Buy Recycling and Trade-in Program (Emeryville) 3700 Mandela Pkwy. Emeryville Recycle Free Drop-off rechargeable batteries, battery backups (UPS), batteries for cellphones, laptops, and button batteries
Pete's Ace Hardware 2569 Castro Valley Blvd. Castro Valley Recycle Free Drop-off No large quantities.
Clean Earth (AERC) (Hayward) 30677 Huntwood Ave Hayward Recycle Mail-in for a Fee Mail-in recycling kit only
Walgreens 4645 Mission St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off
Walgreens 498 Castro St. San Francisco Recycle Free Drop-off

Curbside Service

Special Action Note
Alameda
Residents may drop off household batteries (A, AA, AAA, C, D and 9-volt) at the ACI Alameda office or package in a sealed, clear plastic bag and place on top of the recyclable materials cart. (No car batteries allowed.)
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Albany
Put batteries in a clear plastic bag, seal it shut and place on the top of the recyclables cart.
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Berkeley
Castro Valley Sanitary District
Single-family and multi-family residents with blue recycling cart service may participate in CVSan’s curbside battery recycling program by placing used dry cell batteries (household batteries such as AAA, AA, B, C, D, 9V, and small “button” batteries) in a sealed clear plastic bag on top of your blue recycling cart on your service day. No automotive, lithium-ion or liquid batteries are accepted. Please tape terminals on 9-volt batteries.
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Dublin
Single Family Residents. Place used batteries on top of your recycle cart in a clear plastic bag.
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Emeryville
Emeryville accepts this item for curbside pickup, but don't put them in your carts or bins. Cart customers: place in sealed, zip bag taped to lid of recycling cart. Emeryville bin customers call to order mail-back collection container: 510-613-8710.
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Fremont
Hayward
Single Family Service - Household batteries can be put into a sealed clear bag & placed next to the Recycling cart on collection day. Please tape over lithium battery contacts.
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Hayward (Oro Loma - L2)
Single Family Service - Place in zip loc bag on top of recycling cart
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Livermore
Single Family Service - Household batteries can be put into a sealed clear bag & placed on top of the Recycling cart on collection day. Please tape over lithium battery contacts.
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Newark
Single Family Service - Place in zip loc bag on top of recycling cart
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Oakland
Residents. Put household dry-cell batteries in a clear, sealed bag on top of recycling cart by 6am on your regular recycling pickup date. Always tape ends of batteries to avoid contact. Bag button-cell and NiCd batteries in a bag separate from alkaline batteries. Do not include rechargeable batteries.
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Piedmont
Place in Ziploc bag on top of the recycling cart. Also accepted at the Piedmont Fire Station for recycling.
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Pleasanton
Single Family Service - Place in zip loc bag on top of recycling cart
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San Leandro
Bag batteries in clear bag and put on top of Recycling cart.
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San Leandro (Oro Loma - L3)
Single Family Service - Place in zip loc bag on top of recycling cart
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San Lorenzo (Oro Loma)
Single Family Service - Place in zip loc bag on top of recycling cart
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Unincorporated Oro Loma (L1)
Single Family Service - Place in zip loc bag on top of recycling cart
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Union City
Single Family & Parcelized Multifamily Dwellings: Put in clear, sealed bag next to recycling cart.
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