RethinkWaste Goals
If an item lights up, makes sound, or moves on its own WITHOUT being plugged into the wall—there’s a great chance that item contains some type of battery.
RethinkWaste wants to partner with our community members 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 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
Residents who participate in the curbside pickup program have an easy, simple, and FREE way to properly dispose of your household batteries. The curbside program accepts all single-use, rechargeable, and lithium-ion household batteries. Lead acid and car batteries are not accepted. These should be taken to Shoreway Environmental Center or San Mateo County’s Household Hazardous Waste Program.
STEP 1: COLLECT IT!

STEP 2: TAPE IT!

STEP 3: BAG IT!

STEP 4: PLACE IT!

A NOTE ABOUT THOSE ORANGE BATTERY BAGS: For the curbside battery program, you may use any zip-top bag to place your household batteries in. If you would like to use the orange collection bags, click here for a list of locations. Please check with the location to see if it is open first. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many local city halls and RethinkWaste and Recology’s administrative offices are closed.
Batteries To Be On The Lookout For
If you have any of the below batteries at home that no longer carry charge—we’re happy to take them off your hands absolutely free!
Alkaline batteries are your basic AA, AAA, C, D and 9-volt single-use batteries. They are commonly found in toys, 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, digital cameras, 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, digital cameras, 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 here 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 home and community safe.