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How to Recycle Hearing Aids
Check local acceptanceDonation value for a refurbishable pair is well above scrap precious-metal valueLast reviewed October 26, 2026
Quick answer
Donate old hearing aids instead of trashing them. Mail them to the Hearing Aid Project (hearingaiddonations.org, run by Sertoma), drop them at a HearingLife center, or bring them to a Miracle-Ear store for the Miracle-Ear Foundation's Hear Again program, which takes working and non-working aids. Remove only user-removable batteries and recycle them separately; keep sealed rechargeable aids intact and ask the program about acceptance and shipping. Before you go, confirm that a local recycling center accepts the material in its current condition.
- Recycling route
- Check locally
- Typical value
- Donation value for a refurbishable pair is well above scrap precious-metal value
- Donate / take-back
- Available
Hearing amplification devices, including behind-the-ear, in-the-ear, and completely-in-canal models. Donation for refurbishment is the main path, and recycling for parts is the fallback for units that no longer work.
Where to Recycle
- Hearing Aid Project (mail-in donation, run by Sertoma)
- HearingLife hearing care centers (600+ drop points)
- Miracle-Ear stores (Miracle-Ear Foundation Hear Again program)
- Audiology clinics and hearing centers (ask whether they collect)
- Household hazardous waste sites for the batteries
How to Prepare
- 1Clean the hearing aid with its cleaning tools or a dry cloth
- 2Remove only a battery designed for user removal and recycle it separately; do not pry open a sealed rechargeable aid. Confirm whole-device acceptance and shipping instructions with the receiving program
- 3Remove any custom-molded earpiece, since a mold fits one person's ear and gets discarded
- 4Include the case, cleaning tools, chargers, and any new batteries you still have
- 5Mail the aids to the Hearing Aid Project, or drop them at a HearingLife center or Miracle-Ear store
Special Instructions
The Hearing Aid Project accepts hearing aids, new batteries, cases, and chargers, and sends an itemized acknowledgment letter you can use for taxes when you mail the donation directly. Hearing aids left at HearingLife drop points do not qualify for a tax receipt. Hearing aids less than three years old from major manufacturers go to refurbishment for low-income recipients, older working aids go to international medical missions, and unusable aids are recycled to fund the program. Expired batteries, eyeglasses, and phones are not accepted.
Environmental Impact
Hearing aids pack gold, silver, and rare-earth elements into a very small package, and manufacturing a replacement requires new mining and precision assembly. Donating a working aid for refurbishment gets years more use out of those materials before recycling for parts would ever be necessary.
Official guidance and resources
Accepted items and drop-off rules can vary by location. Check the destination before you go.
What’s Accepted
Accepted
- Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids
- In-the-ear (ITE) and in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids
- Completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aids
- New batteries, cases, and chargers (Hearing Aid Project)
Not Accepted
- Custom ear molds (remove and discard separately)
- Expired batteries
- Eyeglasses, watches, and phones (the Hearing Aid Project cannot refurbish them)
Donation & Take‑Back Options
Estimated value: Donation value for a refurbishable pair is well above scrap precious-metal value
Hazardous Components
- Zinc-air or lithium hearing aid batteries
FAQs
What do I do with old hearing aids?
Donate them. Mail them to the Hearing Aid Project at hearingaiddonations.org, drop them at a HearingLife center, or bring them to a Miracle-Ear store. Take the batteries out first.
Where can I recycle hearing aids near me?
HearingLife has more than 600 hearing care centers that collect aids for the Hearing Aid Project, and Miracle-Ear stores collect for the Miracle-Ear Foundation. Ask your audiologist too, since many clinics keep a donation box.
Can I donate a hearing aid that is several years old?
Yes. The Hearing Aid Project sends aids less than three years old from major manufacturers to refurbishment, and older working aids go to international medical missions. Miracle-Ear's program takes working and non-working aids.
How do I dispose of hearing aid batteries?
Take the batteries out and bring them to a battery recycler, a participating retailer, or a household hazardous waste site. EPA says button-cell batteries do not go in household trash or recycling bins, and taping the terminals or bagging each battery prevents sparks.
What should I do with the custom earpiece?
Remove and discard it. A custom mold fits one person's ear, so donation programs do not reuse it. Donate the electronic hearing aid body.
Does Lions Clubs run its own hearing aid recycling program?
Lions Clubs' own page refers hearing aid donors to a partner program instead of running a Lions-branded one, and the Hearing Aid Project now runs under Sertoma. Local Lions chapters sometimes act as collection points, so ask yours.
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- How to recycle Medical Textiles and Gowns
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