SF's new smart bins aim to make battery recycling easier
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Photo: Courtesy of Redwood Materials
San Francisco has launched one of the first automated public battery recycling systems in the U.S., rolling out smart drop-off bins that accept all mixed lithium-ion batteries and battery-embedded devices without manual sorting.
Why it matters: Battery-embedded products, such as phones and laptops, are notoriously hard to recycle safely, and mishandling lithium-ion batteries can trigger fires. The new effort aims to reduce landfill waste while improving fire safety and material recovery in an increasingly battery-dependent economy.
Driving the news: The San Francisco Environment Department is partnering with energy and critical materials company Redwood Materials to deploy battery recovery and recycling bins at eight locations across the city.
- You'll be able to dispose of loose lithium-ion batteries as well as rechargeable devices with embedded batteries, including electric razors and small wireless devices.
- Each bin is engineered with a materials management system that continuously sorts in the background.
Drop-off bins are now available at:
- Cole Hardware Cole Valley
- Cole Hardware Downtown
- Cole Hardware North Beach
- Cole Hardware Russian Hill
- Sports Basement Presidio
- Sports Basement Stonestown
- Sports Basement Bryant St.
- Four Embarcadero Center
The big picture: Millions of electrical and electronic devices — referred to as electronic waste — are discarded every year.
- Unsafe recycling can lead to adverse health effects, yet only 22% of an estimated 62 million tons of e-waste produced globally in 2022 was documented as formally collected and recycled, according to the World Health Organization.
- San Francisco currently works with 60 retail collection partners, including hardware stores and pharmacies, to meet household battery drop-off needs.