A First in the Nation: San Francisco’s New Battery Recycling Drop-Off Bins

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” – Albert Einstein, Physicist
San Francisco has become the first city in the United States to offer public drop-off bins specifically designed for recycling products with embedded batteries, such as small electronics and rechargeable devices. This initiative is led by the San Francisco Environment Department in partnership with Redwood Materials, a company that focuses on recovering and reusing critical battery materials. The new bins allow residents to dispose of loose batteries and small battery-powered products together, without needing to remove or sort batteries beforehand. These items include phones, laptops, electric toothbrushes, razors, headphones, and similar devices. The bins use advanced technology to safely detect, store, and manage lithium-ion batteries, helping prevent fires during collection. The program is being piloted at eight locations across the city, including select hardware and sporting goods stores and a downtown office location. By making battery recycling more convenient and accessible, the city hopes to keep hazardous materials out of landfills, prevent fires in waste facilities, and recover valuable resources like lithium, cobalt, and nickel for reuse in new products. This initiative represents a major step toward safer waste management and a more circular economy, positioning San Francisco as a national leader in innovative recycling solutions (San Francisco becomes first in the nation to offer public drop-off bins for battery-embedded product recycling, December 2025).
To reduce environmental harm and setting up an example for other cities to follow, please find a bin near you today:
Cole Hardware Cole Valley: 956 Cole St
Cole Hardware Downtown: 70 4th St
Cole Hardware North Beach:  627 Vallejo St
Cole Hardware Russian Hill: 2254 Polk St
Sports Basement Presidio: 610 Old Mason St
Sports Basement Stonestown: 3251 20th Ave Suite 390
Sports Basement Bryant St: 1590 Bryant Street
Embarcadero Center (BXP): Four Embarcadero Center