What happens to batteries and cellphones after you drop them off at a collection site? They begin a fascinating journey through the recycling process, with the metal and chemical byproducts eventually winding up in new products and the remaining waste safely disposed of according to international recycling standards.
Learn more about what happens to batteries after they're collected at the links below.
The University of Illinois does not coordinate or pay for battery recycling for campus departments. If your department has a small number of batteries to recycle, use one of the local options listed.
For larger quantities, your department can purchase battery recycling containers from Call2Recycle (https://www.call2recycle.org/store/). Remember that Illinois law requires that the battery terminals are taped on both rechargable and single use batteries prior to recycling.
Have batteries you want to recycle? Here's a list of some locations in Champaign-Urbana, according to Earth911 and Call2Recycle. Remember that Illinois law requires that the battery terminals are taped on both rechargable and single use batteries prior to recycling.
Please call the location you want to visit for more information before taking your batteries for drop-off.
Illinois EPA's Services Locator identifies recycling facilities throughout the state for medications, electronics, household hazardous waste, and vehicle emissions testing.