Household Battery Recycling - Curbside Program

Households with individual wheeled garbage cart or garbage can service will also be able to safely set out household dry cell batteries in zip-lock style plastic bags with their curbside garbage collection service. The City’s garbage and Clean Green contractor, Mission Trail Waste Systems provide this curbside battery recycling service. Residents with front load bin service may still drop off their household dry cell batteries at any Santa Clara fire station seven days a week, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Only dry cell batteries will be collected in the household battery recycling program. Dry cell batteries include sizes D, C, AA, AAA, and 9-volt; single use CZn, alkaline, and zinc air; and NiCd, NiMH, and NiFe reusable/rechargeable batteries. Wet cell batteries (commonly used in vehicles, boats, and emergency lighting applications), watch batteries, and lithium batteries (commonly used in digital cameras, notebook computers, and portable DVD players) will not be collected through the curbside program. The battery recycling guide (PDF) shows images of batteries that cannot be recycled and those that are okay to recycle. Contact the Countywide Household Hazardous Waste Program at 299-7300 to make an appointment to drop off batteries that are not accepted through the curbside program.

Spent household dry cell batteries must be placed in a zip-lock style plastic bag before setting out for recycling. Set the bag containing the dry cell batteries on top of your wheeled, black garbage cart or garbage can for collection. The batteries will be collected on the same day as garbage and safely recycled. If you have questions about the new curbside household battery collection program, please call 615-2063 or if you have questions about service, please call Mission Trail Waste Systems at 727-5365.