TOWSON, MD—Baltimore County officials are reminding residents that rechargeable batteries should not be placed in household trash or single stream recycling.

Disposing of these items in the trash or recycling can lead to fires in collection trucks and Baltimore County facilities, damaging equipment and endangering workers.

Batteries that fall into the “rechargeable” category include lithium ion, nickel metal hydride, nickel-cadmium and lead acid (car and boat batteries). Rechargeable batteries are commonly found in household electronics, toys, handheld power tools and appliances.

For proper disposal, rechargeable batteries may be brought to any of the County’s three drop-off facilities to be recycled. Many retailers also accept these items for recycling; a list of local drop-off sites can be found at mdrecycles.org or on the Call2Recycle website.

“Regular” single-use alkaline batteries (such as AA, AAA, etc.) are not hazardous and may safely be disposed of in the trash.

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