When it comes to disposing of batteries, the City of Sacramento is adamant about residents not chucking them in the regular trash. The seemingly innocuous AA or AAA battery sitting in your junk drawer is actually a piece of "household hazardous waste" (HHW), capable of igniting a fire or causing an explosion if not handled correctly. According to a recent report, these common batteries, alongside fluorescent bulbs, chemicals, and propane tanks all share the hazardous classification and must be disposed of with care.
"It’s important to dispose of all household hazardous waste the right way, especially batteries, because a common household battery can pose risk of fires when in close contact with other materials in the container or collection truck, especially during the warmer months," Jesa David, spokesperson for the Recycling and Solid Waste Division, mentioned in a statement on Sacramento City Express. For the unversed, or those looking into safe disposal options, resources such as the Waste Wizard or SacRecycle app come in handy and are readily accessible.
Those residing in Sacramento have access to the HHW facility where they can drop off not just batteries, but an array of other dangerous items from Tuesday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at no cost. However, it's worth noting that while single-use battery waste from homes is accepted, the same amnesty does not extend to lithium-ion and car batteries nor business-generated waste. A full list of drop-off points includes City Hall and several community centers, all free to city residents for personal battery waste.
The advice doesn't stop at disposal. To curb the number of batteries ending up at waste facilities, staff recommend purchasing devices sans the need for batteries, or opting for the rechargeable kind, which can replace the single-use AAA, AA, C, D, and 9-volt varieties. More information on battery disposal and waste reduction can be found detailed on the sacrecycle.org website.
