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How to Recycle Button Cell Batteries
Small round button and coin cells (CR2032 and similar, silver oxide, zinc-air hearing-aid cells, older mercury oxide) used in watches, key fobs, hearing aids, calculators, and medical devices.
Check local acceptance$0 at consumer drop-offLast reviewed July 31, 2026
Quick answer
Tape both faces of a button or coin cell (or bag each cell) and take it to HHW, a jeweler, a hearing-aid clinic, or a Battery Network locator site that confirms primary / coin acceptance. Do not put them in trash or curbside recycling. Keep used cells out of reach of children; a swallowed lithium coin cell can burn the esophagus within about two hours. Before you go, confirm that a local recycling center accepts the material in its current condition.
- Recycling route
- Check locally
- Typical value
- $0 at consumer drop-off
- Donate / take-back
- Available
How to Prepare
- 1Remove the cell carefully so it does not fall where a child or pet can reach it
- 2Tape both flat faces (or bag each cell alone) so terminals cannot short
- 3Store used cells in a closed container out of reach of children
- 4Keep lithium coin cells separate from alkaline button cells when you can
- 5Take them to drop-off promptly rather than leaving a jar on a counter
Where to Recycle
- Battery Network locator sites that list primary / coin / button acceptance (confirm first)
- Jewelers and watch repair shops
- Hearing-aid centers (especially zinc-air cells)
- Municipal HHW facilities
- Pharmacies and electronics stores that sell coin cells (ask before dropping off)
Special Instructions
EPA: do not put button, coin, or lithium single-use cells in trash or municipal recycling bins. Battery Network treats coin/button cells as primary chemistry available at select collection partners only; confirm on the locator before you go. Do not rely on Home Depot Call2Recycle bins for buttons unless the locator confirms that site. Pre-1990s mercury oxide cells are uncommon now but still belong at HHW or a battery recycler, never in trash. If a child swallows a button battery, seek emergency care immediately.
Environmental Impact
Most new U.S. consumer button cells are mercury-free; modern types more often use lithium metal, silver oxide, or zinc-air chemistry. Older mercury-oxide cells still belong at HHW. Recycling recovers silver and other metals and keeps lithium coin cells out of trash trucks where they can short and ignite.
Official guidance and resources
Accepted items and drop-off rules can vary by location. Check the destination before you go.
What’s Accepted
Accepted
- Lithium coin cells (CR2032, CR2025, and similar)
- Silver oxide watch cells
- Zinc-air hearing-aid batteries
- Alkaline button cells (LR series)
- Older mercury oxide cells via HHW
Not Accepted
- Trash or curbside recycling
- Loose untaped cells mixed with keys, coins, or other batteries
- Medical sharps containers (use battery or HHW collection instead)
- Assuming every Home Depot Call2Recycle bin takes buttons without locator confirmation
Donation & Take‑Back Options
Estimated value: $0 at consumer drop-off
Manufacturer/Retail Take‑Back
Hazardous Components
- Mercury in older mercury-oxide cells
- Lithium metal in CR-series coin cells
- Silver in silver-oxide cells
FAQs
Why are button batteries dangerous for kids?
A swallowed coin cell can lodge in the esophagus and create an electrical current with saliva, causing severe burns within about two hours. Store spare and spent cells in a closed container out of reach.
Do I need to tape button cells before recycling?
Yes. Tape both faces or bag each cell. Lithium coin cells can spark if the faces touch metal or another battery.
Do button cells still contain mercury?
Most new U.S. consumer button cells are mercury-free. Cells made before the mid-1990s may contain mercury oxide. Recycle all of them; do not trash older cells.
Where can I recycle hearing-aid batteries?
Hearing-aid clinics often take spent zinc-air cells when you buy replacements. HHW and Battery Network sites that list primary cells also accept them. Confirm before you go.
Will a jeweler recycle my watch battery?
Most watch repair counters replace the cell and keep the old one for recycling, especially silver-oxide types. Ask when you drop the watch off.
Related recycling guides
- How to recycle Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries (NiMH)
- How to recycle Lithium-Ion Batteries
- How to recycle Lead-Acid Batteries (Small)
- How to recycle Alkaline Batteries
- How to recycle Nickel-Cadmium Batteries (NiCd)
- How to recycle Power-Tool & High-Energy Batteries
- How to recycle Lithium Primary Batteries
- How to recycle E-Bike Batteries
- How to recycle Phone/Tablet Batteries
- How to recycle Disposable Vapes & E-Cigarettes
Recycle button cell batteries
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