How do you dispose of a lithium-ion battery?

Lithium-ion and other rechargeable batteries should be recycled so that any hazardous waste, including lead acid and nickel cadmium, can be removed from the waste cycle. Federal guidelines consider lithium-ion and nickel metal hydride batteries to be non-hazardous.

Many electronics stores offer free recycling of rechargeable batteries, including lithium-ion batteries. If they are not recycled, spent lithium-ion batteries can usually be thrown out in the regular trash, since they can be incinerated safely. Batteries should be discharged completely before being disposed of, and the electrical contacts should be covered with tape or packaging to prevent them from coming together accidentally.