Chicago launches permanent battery recycling program

Chicago, IL— Chicagoans now have an easy way to recycle their batteries with the City of Chicago’s new permanent battery recycling program. People can recycle their batteries at all Chicago public libraries and Walgreens stores across the city.

“This program is very user-friendly thanks to our partners at the Chicago Public Library and Walgreens who are offering us more than 200 drop-off sites across the city,” said Al Sanchez, Commissioner of the Department of Streets & Sanitation, which administers the City’s recycling program.

“Residents now have a convenient place to dispose of household batteries and it’s good for the City and the environment by removing this material from the general waste stream.”

Batteries might seem like a small item, but 3 billion batteries are thrown away every year, creating a very real concern for society and the environment.

Recycling batteries in the new program is very simple. Residents can deposit batteries, either alkaline, rechargeable, or other common types, in a receptacle at one of the designated locations.

The batteries are shipped to Battery Solutions, Inc., a national battery recycler, who will recover the batteries and recycle them.

Funding for the City of Chicago’s battery recycling program has been provided in part through a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.