Batteries

What do I need to know about battery recycling in Wayne?

Here are key tips to recycle batteries in our program funded by the Wayne Green Team, with support from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. 

1. Only small, household batteries will be accepted for recycling. These include alkaline, zinc carbon, NiMH, NiCd, less than 9 volts, non-lithium button cell and lithium and lithium-ion with exposed terminals that require taping. We do not accept large batteries, such as lead acid, electronic batteries, and anything over 9 volts.
2. The battery drop-off location is only at the Wayne Public Library at 410 Pearl Streetl. View the library’s hours here.
3. No plastic bags allowed. Please do not put your batteries in plastic bags. They must be placed in the drop off bin at the library individually. If you have a corroded battery, only then may you place it in a clear, ziplock bag to avoid creating a spark. Please do not put our staff and volunteers at risk by having to sort through the potentially hazardous bin of batteries.
4. Always tape exposed terminals of all lithium and lithium-ion batteries.  Exposed terminals can create a spark when rubbed together, especially during transit, so make sure you tape these.  If in doubt, put some tape on it!

Why can't we take large batteries, like lead acid and 9+ volt ones?  

The battery recycling program started in December 2017 and has been a huge success, preventing over 3,500 pounds of batteries with toxic materials from entering the landfill since then. Unfortunately, it has also cost more than expected. Each bucket holds up to 55 pounds of batteries and costs $102 to send to Cirba Solutions for recycling. We often received boxes of larger-sized batteries, such as lead acid and 9+ volt batteries (e.g., drill batteries), that required additional funds to ship. Although our community’s willingness to recycling batteries is wonderful, we needed more funds to support this program.  We do receive some grant funding from NDEE, but not enough to cover all the batteries our community recycles in a year.  Good job recycling, Wayne! 

What should you do with your larger batteries? 

Some retail outlets where these batteries are purchased will take them back (check with O’Reilly Auto Parts or Bomgaars, for example, for car and drill batteries). We will post more info if we find other outlets.

How are these batteries recycled? 

The Wayne Green Team sends these batteries to Cirba Solutions in Michigan. They carefully sort the batteries based on chemistry to prepare them for recycling. To learn more about how these batteries are recycled, visit Battery Recycling Information. 

Where can I find more information on the types of batteries accepted? 

See our updated Battery Recycling How-To Guide on our website. It’s important to note which batteries require taped terminals for safety in shipping. Clear tape is provided next to the battery recycling bin at the library.

Link: Battery Recycling Flyer (PDF) | (JPG)