RethinkWaste Goals
Whether you are an office building, apartment building, hotel/motel, retail store, restaurant, or school, all commercial businesses need to make sure that items that light up or move on its own have batteries and need to be disposed of safely.
RethinkWaste wants to partner with our community businesses to accomplish these 3 things:
- Ensure batteries are being properly disposed of and NOT going into the blue recycle cart.
- Prevent battery-related fires and environmental harm.
- Educate our residents how they can be part of the solution.
Who We Serve
This program is for the businesses and residents of: Belmont, Burlingame, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Carlos, San Mateo, parts of unincorporated San Mateo County, and the West Bay Sanitary District.
How to Properly Dispose of Your Batteries
Small businesses that generate less than 220 pounds or 27 gallons of hazardous waste per month may contact San Mateo County’s Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG) Program for more information on business hazardous waste disposal by calling (650) 372-6200 or at smchealth.org/vsqg.
All other businesses that are not a VSQG should use a licensed recycler to dispose of their universal waste such as batteries. For a list of authorized recyclers and other disposal information, contact San Mateo County Environmental Health Services at (650) 372-6200.
Batteries To Be On The Lookout For
Check if you have any of these batteries at your business that no longer carry charge!
Alkaline batteries are your basic AA, AAA, C, D and 9-volt single-use batteries. They are commonly found in remotes and flashlights. Most button cell and coin cell batteries have a long shelf-life. They are found in watches, hearing aids, greeting cards, and car fobs. Ni-MH (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries can be recharged up to 1,000 times. They are commonly found in cordless power drills and cordless phones. Ni-Cd (Nickel Cadmium) batteries are the least expensive of the rechargeable batteries and can be recharged up to 1,000 times. They are often found in cordless power drills and cordless phones. “Lithium” or “lithium cell” batteries are non-rechargeable and long-lasting, but react violently with water. They may be found in pacemakers, alarms, watches, and remote car locks. “Lithium-ion” or “lithium polymer (Li-Po)” batteries are rechargeable and highly flammable if they short circuit. You’ll find these batteries in cell phones, laptops, power tools, and digital cameras.
Battery FAQs
We’ve received lots of battery related questions and wanted to share the answers with our RethinkWaste community. Click below to find the battery answers you’ve been looking for.
Caution: Lithium Batteries May Start Fires
Lithium-ion batteries contain more power than other batteries and are delicately packaged. When damaged, the battery can short out, heat up, and catch on fire as seen in the video below. Click here to learn more about lithium batteries and the types of products they can be found in.
Ask The Battery Expert
Have a battery question? Get answers by asking our battery expert using the form below.
WHY DOES PROPER BATTERY DISPOSAL MATTER?
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Batteries that find their way into our black garbage carts end up in our local landfill. After a little time, they can corrode and allow harmful chemicals to leach into the soil and make their way into our water supply.
Batteries can also cause landfill fires which release toxic chemicals into the air, leading to potential health problems for anyone who inhales those fumes. Help make a positive impact on our environment by not disposing of used batteries in your garbage. Instead, explore the different battery disposal methods below.
DID YOU KNOW 3 billion batteries are thrown away and end up in landfills every year?
SAFETY IMPACT
DID YOU KNOW chemicals in batteries can cause everything from serious skin irritation to cancer?
Batteries that end up in our blue recycling carts are brought to the Shoreway Environmental Center. In 2016 a battery started a 4-alarm fire that closed the facility for months and caused millions of dollars in damages.
In fact, lithium-ion batteries have caused concerns for many consumer products such as cell phones, laptops, and headphones that explode or catch on fire. Properly disposing of your batteries and taping your battery terminals can help keep your business and community safe.