Batteries don’t belong in your recycling bin.
Think about how many things in your home use batteries. Phones, toys, power tools, electric toothbrushes, vapes, and even greeting cards. Batteries are everywhere, and it’s not always obvious which products contain them or how to get rid of them.
But one thing is clear: Batteries don’t belong in your recycling bin.
When batteries end up in the wrong place, they can put collection drivers, recycling workers, landfill employees, and even first responders at risk.
What’s the Danger?
Many batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, can spark or catch fire when they’re crushed, punctured, or damaged.
Think about what happens after you put something in your trash or recycling cart. A collection truck picks it up and compacts the material. From there, it may be unloaded, pushed around by heavy equipment, or moved through sorting machinery.
If a battery gets damaged along the way, it can overheat and ignite surrounding materials.
One misplaced battery can start a fire in a collection truck, recycling facility, or landfill.
That’s why keeping batteries out of the regular waste and recycling stream is so important. It’s not just about recycling correctly. It’s about protecting the people who handle our waste every day.
Skip the Bin! Turn Your Batteries In!
In September 2026, the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and the National Waste & Recycling Foundation (NWRF) announced a national partnership to improve battery safety education.
Their message is simple: Skip the Bin! Turn Your Batteries In!
Instead of trying to figure out whether a battery is alkaline, lithium-ion, rechargeable, or something else, the goal is to make safe disposal easier to understand. Batteries should be taken to appropriate collection locations whenever available, rather than tossed into household recycling carts.
Where Can Sioux Falls Residents Take Batteries?
The good news is that Sioux Falls residents already have a place to take many types of household batteries and other hazardous materials.
Sioux Falls Household Hazardous Waste Facility (HHW)
The City’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility provides a free drop-off option for eligible household hazardous waste, including many types of batteries.
Instead of putting batteries in your recycling or trash cart, set them aside and bring them to the facility for proper handling.
For accepted materials, hours, location, and drop-off requirements, visit the City of Sioux Falls Household Hazardous Waste webpage.
Not sure where something belongs? The free BINfluencer search tool can help you find local recycling and disposal options throughout the Sioux Falls area.
Know what to throw. Know where to go.
What About Vapes and Other Battery-Powered Products?
Some products are harder to figure out. Disposable vapes, rechargeable devices, and other electronics may contain batteries that can’t easily be removed. These items can be especially confusing because they combine batteries with other materials that may require different handling.
At Millennium, we’re working with City and State officials, along with battery processors, to explore better collection and disposal solutions for these harder-to-manage items.
We’re also looking at ways to expand public education so more residents know what to do with batteries before they end up in the wrong place.
As those efforts develop, we’ll continue sharing updates with the community.
A Small Step That Makes a Big Difference
Every day, collection drivers, recycling facility employees, and landfill workers handle the materials we throw away. Most of us don’t think much about what happens after our carts are emptied, but what we put in them matters.
The next time you have a dead battery or an old battery-powered device, don’t just toss it in the bin. Take a moment to find the right disposal location. That simple decision can help prevent fires, protect workers, and keep our waste and recycling systems running safely.
Skip the Bin! Turn Your Batteries In!
The post Skip the Bin! Turn Your Batteries In! appeared first on Millennium Recycling.
