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Comment by Saris | Hacker News Reader

It is difficult to figure out what to do with old Li-ion batteries, some local stores accept certain types for recycling, but I have a few larger batteries from ebikes and power tools that they won't take, and I can't figure out what to do with them.

For now they just sit in the garage.

I would like to see some kind of system where the cost of recycling is paid up-front when the battery is purchased, and there are easy to find locations to drop them off, or to mail them for smaller ones.

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That's more or less what we have in the EU, although the implementation varies between countries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_Electrical_and_Electroni...

In Denmark there are electronic waste bins in apartment buildings (with the usual recycling bins), and placed somewhere around the neighbourhood for houses. There's also a steel cupboard for hazardous waste.

I notice there's a limit of 500g for batteries, so large ones should be taken to the neighbourhood recycling centre or a place that sells them.

At the very minimum we should mandate the stores that sell products that include batteries to have collection points for the products and their batteries.

I bought a power bank from Best Buy that was recalled, and when I tried to return it for disposal, I was told to look for local recycling companies.

That's how it is implemented in Germany: If you sell batteries or battery-containing devices, you have to take batteries in for recycling. (Now I wouldn't necessarily expect every tiny corner store that sells single-use vapes to do a proper job of that, but normal store chains will do so)

Thats a smart system. In Sweden and other countries there is pant, pantamera "container deposit system" you recycle aluminium cans in the store. One reason it takes a lot of energy to melt aluminium which you use to make aluminium cans.

You should get money back when recycling electronics so there is an economic incentive todo recycling.

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