Disposing of batteries properly

Someone gave me a published list of all the ways to properly dispose of batteries. There was so much data on it I couldn't possibly use it. I had no idea we had so many different types of batteries and disposal methods. I am going to try and make the rules simple.

We have regular throw away, regular recycle and hazardous waste. California is always different but I am excluding them.

This list has nine (9!) battery types.

Throw away -

• Carbon Zinc, (old style standard household battery).
• Alkaline, or rechargeable alkaline. None can be recycled, none are hazardous waste.
• Alkaline Manganese - rechargeable, non-recyclable, non-hazardous
  

Recycle -

• Lithium Ion. They are non-hazardous waste and can be recycled.
  
• Nickel - Cadmium (Ni-cad) rechargeable, they are hazardous waste but recyclable.
• Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-li or Ni Hydride) - rechargeable, non-hazardous, recyclable

Note: These batteries are generally in your consumer electronics that use special batteries.

Hazardous Waste disposal -

• Button Batteries (yep all those little batteries that are round and flat)
• Sealed Lead Acid - used in scooters, some power tools, UPS's etc.
• Silver Oxide - Consumers can throw away but non-consumers must dispose of them as hazardous waste??? These are in greeting cards!

Bottom Line - Little ones are bad, big ones are bad, the regular household batteries are either recyclable or not. Probably ought to avoid Ni-cad, as cadmium is a highly toxic and carcinogenic. Avoiding the throw aways' seems prudent (the carbon Zinc ones are the most likely to leak anyway) but the alkalines' are what we all buy in 9v, AA, AAA, D, C, etc. The Lithium Ion are also available in those sizes as "higher performance batteries" but keep them in the fridge.