In an effort to help residents understand the rules regarding battery recycling, the Bloomfield Recycling Committee is releasing the following tips:
Regular household batteries, ie, alkaline batteries can be placed in with regular solid waste. These batteries are deemed non-hazardous and there is really no local market for the limited recycling of them.
If a person wants to recycle these batteries, there are a few, mail-in services that allow for the batteries to be sent to them for recycling.
For other batteries, rechargeable, watch, and lithium-ion, these can be brought to the county household hazardous waste days. The next one is October 3 from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at 99 W Bradford Ave. in Cedar Grove. For more information visit the [**Essex County website**](http://ecuanj.com/) or call 973-792-9060.
Residents may also go to the website for [**call2recycle**](https://www.call2recycle.org/), which is a battery recycling organization that has information and a mail-back store where you can purchase a kit to send back batteries of different types and in different conditions.
For rechargeable batteries, stores such as Home Depot and Lowes will take them back at the front entrances. There is a special drop off location but you should check with the store prior to dropping off due to COVID-19.
For lead-acid batteries, these are recycled at locations that sell them. ie, typically auto repair stores, etc.
“In Bloomfield, we are striving to be as sustainable and environmentally conscious as we can be,” Mayor Venezia said. “I hope that these tips will allow residents to more easily understand how they can best recycle batteries in a way that will be both convenient and responsible.”
For more information about what residents can and cannot recycle, please view the [**list on the Essex County website**](http://www.ecuanj.com/household_hazardous_waste_list_2012.html) of acceptable and unacceptable hazardous waste materials.