Know Before You Throw: Iowa’s Battery Disposal Laws and What They Mean for You

Batteries power... well, pretty much everything. Our cell phones, maybe you're reading this on your phone now.

They power our remote controls, and even many cars now run entirely on batteries. Those that don't, of course, still contain a massive battery.

You'd be hard-pressed to find many electronics that don't employ the use of a battery. The Iowa DNR even says that 15 billion (yes, with a B) batteries are produced in the world yearly.

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So, what happens when it comes time to ditch an old, unworking battery? Iowa's laws aren't as cut and dry as you may think.

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Let's dig in.

Iowa Battery Disposal Laws

I was inspired to look into this when I saw a story on a sister station's site talking about the laws in Michigan.

First off, one of the most common batteries we all interact with every day is your standard alkaline (or similar) battery.

Usually double or triple-A-sized, these bad boys power our TV and other remotes, kids' or pet toys, and many small appliances.

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These batteries work awesomely until, well, they don't. When they die, they're cheap to replace. But what do you do with the dead ones?

You can actually just pitch these in Iowa with no concern for being labeled a criminal.

According to the Iowa DNR, alkaline, carbon-zinc, and zinc-air batteries are non-toxic and can be thrown in your trash when they die.

Or, you can recycle them.

But what about those massive batteries in our cars?

Car batteries are not in the same position. These are actually called lead-acid batteries, and as you might imagine after hearing "lead" and "acid" in the same sentence, they need to be handled differently.

Iowa law prohibits disposing of lead-acid car and motorcycle batteries in landfills due to their hazardous lead and sulfuric acid content.

The good news, retailers must accept used batteries when selling new ones, and some accept them even without a purchase.

Proper disposal helps prevent environmental contamination.

Lastly, another very common battery is are button battery. Button batteries are found in items like watches, calculators, and hearing aids.

These are a serious choking hazard for babies and children and should be handled with care.

But when they're dead, then what?

These often contain hazardous materials like mercury, silver, or lithium. These batteries should be disposed of or recycled properly to prevent environmental harm.

To put a button (not the battery) on this, recycling is always best. The Iowa DNR suggests Call 2 Recycle as an option for recycling dead batteries.

Test that car battery and visit the new restaurants of Eastern Iowa!