Garbage and Recycling

Properly disposing of household batteries can keep our communities safe and prevent garbage/recycling truck and facility fires. 

Battery Drop-Off

Household batteries can be recycled/properly disposed free of charge at Metro South’s Household Hazardous Waste Facility (2001 Washington St., Oregon City) and at other drop-off locations. Contact Metro’s Recycling Information Center at 503-234-3000 or use their Find a Recycler tool for disposal options.

While curbside battery collection is not currently available to those who live in apartment, condo, or other multifamily communities with shared garbage and recycling service, Clackamas County Sustainability & Solid Waste is working with garbage and recycling companies to find a way to offer this service in a safe manner in the future. 

Have friends or family with a glass bin? Ask to use theirs and be sure to follow the instructions.

Curbside Collection of Batteries

Curbside collection of batteries is now available to single-family residential customers throughout Clackamas County (including within all cities) as part of regular garbage and recycling collection service. 

Discarded batteries can spark and cause fires when not handled properly, creating dangerous situations for garbage and recycling truck drivers, processing facilities, and our communities. Follow these three important steps below to safely recycle/dispose of batteries in your glass bin.

Preparation

Follow these three steps to properly prepare your discarded batteries for recycling/disposal:

Safety Tips

Damaged (or corroded, bulging, leaking) batteries must be taken to a household hazardous waste facility. Never put damaged batteries in the trash or curbside battery recycling program.

1. Place damaged batteries in a small plastic bag with absorbent, nonflammable materials, such as kitty litter, sand, or dry rice. For extra safety, place this bag into a metal can, like an old soup can. 
2. Take to a Household Hazardous Waste Facility for safe disposal (Call 503-234-3000 Monday-Friday, 8:30am – 5pm, for phone assistance).

Never remove embedded or built-in rechargeable batteries. If a battery doesn’t come out easily, take the whole device to a drop-off facility. Call Metro’s Recycling Information Center at 503-234-3000 on Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or search Find a Recycler for recycling options.

Why it matters

Prevent fires: Batteries can spark and cause fires. Battery-caused fires in garbage trucks and waste processing facilities have increased dramatically in recent years. These fires put workers’ lives in danger and can cost millions of dollars in damage. To prevent fires, batteries must be collected separately from other waste and the batteries that are most likely to cause fires must be taped. Learn more.

Avoid harm from toxic chemicals: Many batteries contain materials that, if not disposed of properly, can be harmful to people, animals, and the environment.  By collecting batteries separately, we can ensure safe handling, disposal, and recycling.  [Source: EPA]

Recycle batteries into new things: Batteries contain metal, plastic, and other materials that can be used to make new products. Old batteries are recycled into new batteries, as well as stainless steel and even road asphalt. Recycling these materials reduces the negative impacts of producing new products on our air, water, and climate. Learn more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question about other materials? 

• Recycle Guides
  View and download a Clackamas County Recycle Guide (Available in seven languages)
• Find a Recycler
  Look up easy options to recycle, donate or reuse anything from batteries and packing peanuts to that old dishwasher.
• Metro Recycling Information Center
  Call for your garbage and recycling questions at 503-234-3000.
• Recycle or Not on Instagram
  Check the posts and direct message pictures of questionable items to @recycleornot on Instagram. (Available in Spanish: @ReciclarONo)
• Play the Recycle or Not game
  Test your recycling knowledge with this interactive game. (Available in Spanish: ReciclarONo)

Reduce, reuse, and then recycle right to reduce the energy needed to make new products, reduce pollution, and create jobs. 

The things we use (and the food we consume) affect our communities and the environment. From making a product (or growing food) to transporting it to a store (or our doorsteps) to using it (or eating it), the impacts mount at every step. How we ultimately dispose of an item, including its packaging (a peal/shell is nature’s packaging of food), also has impacts. By rethinking our relationship with stuff (and waste), we can lessen the burden on the environment by prioritizing waste reduction and reuse. 

Reduce and reuse first

Buying secondhand, repairing broken items, and repurposing materials conserves natural resources, protects the environment, and saves money. By utilizing the stuff we already have (things or food), we prevent the need to make new stuff, and therefore prevent further impacts on our environment, communities, and people. 

Reduce

Reducing our waste can come in many forms. We might already have something that will meet the need; other times, we may determine we don’t really need the item, such as:

• Opting not to use a straw.
• Declining a bag at check-out after purchasing only a single (few) item(s).
• Avoiding produce bags for fruits and veggies, such as oranges, onions, and avocados.

There are countless opportunities in our daily lives to avoid waste. Small actions can make a big difference. Let’s challenge ourselves to find ways, however small, to reduce our impact. 

Refill

Refill to avoid new and single-use packaging—whether it be food, body care, cleaning supplies, or beverages—with containers you already own! Many local stores around the county carry items in bulk and allow you to bring your own container/bag to refill! Reuse old plastic/zip-seal, cloth, and paper bags, or bring in bottles/jars (when allowed).

Repair 

Repair to keep items from going to waste unnecessarily, save money, and reduce demand for new products. 

Share 

Share books, seeds, and things with your local community. Clackamas County libraries (and some businesses) help reduce the amount of things you need to own by lending books and more. From shovels to games, kitchenware, karaoke machines and more, you have access to more than you may ever need. 

• Libraries in Clackamas County offer books, media, and more! 
  • Libraries of Things provide an opportunity to try out an item before you purchase your own – make sure you enjoy the ukulele before investing in your own. Instead of buying and storing an item year-round for the one or two times you use it a year, check out a bubble machine for your kid’s birthday party, and then return it for someone else to enjoy.
  • Seed Libraries encourage a culture of sharing and sustainability. By providing good quality, local seeds, seed libraries make growing your own food easy and accessible.
• Rental shops to access music, indoor and outdoor tools, a wide variety of equipment, trucks and vans, and more.  Fees apply.

Reuse

We can’t always avoid waste, but that doesn’t mean the item should go directly in the trash. Consider giving good condition items a second life. 

Shop secondhand and/or for salvaged materials to save money, avoid packaging, support local businesses, and promote the circular economy.

Donate (or Trade-In) clothes, furniture, and other good condition items to extend their lifespan, reduce the need for new materials, and limit usable goods going to landfill. 

Recycle

In Oregon, we have a long, strong history and culture of recycling. By recycling right, we’re able to reduce the energy and resources needed to make new products, reduce pollution, and create jobs. In 2023, over 92,000 tons of material was collected in curbside recycling in Clackamas County. 

Recycling right is of utmost importance to maintain the integrity of our recycling system. It is a surprise to many that recycling is localized. What can and cannot go in the recycle bin depends on local processing facility capabilities and limitations. So when your reusable items (water bottles, shopping bags, etc.) eventually break and become unusable, make sure you dispose of them properly (which may mean placing it in the garbage).

Learn to recycle right with the Clackamas County Recycle Guide (available in seven languages). And remember, when in doubt, throw it out! It’s better to place recyclable items in the trash than to place trash in the recycling.