Battery Electronics Collection Events Expand to 25 States
Households in states without e-waste rules may soon have local drop-off options for devices containing batteries.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Electric Vehicles
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Idaho National Laboratory is recruiting electronics recyclers in 25 states that lack e-waste recycling laws to run collection events for devices containing batteries. The effort builds on a first phase that gathered more than 53,700 pounds of devices in southeastern Idaho.
Why it matters
Electronics containing batteries are often thrown away, and the lab hopes higher collection rates will help secure lithium, cobalt, and nickel for the supply chain, including for electric vehicles. For households in states without e-waste rules, the study tests whether a local drop-off model can work where none is required.
Participating organizations will run six to nine collection events in states without electronics recycling laws, with at least two to three events completed before September 2027. The first phase applied New York methods to 20 events in southeastern Idaho and drew about 850 households through September 2026.
The players
Idaho National Laboratory
A U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory based in Idaho Falls that conducts energy and environmental research, including this e-waste collection study.
U.S. Department of Energy
The federal agency whose Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation oversees the Transportation Technologies Office funding the study.
The details
Organizations interested in joining submit an expression of interest describing their operations, service area, collection plan, and downstream recycling arrangements. Selected partners must set up events at new collection sites, promote them through multiple channels, and report participation data. Applicants must list relevant recycler or processor certifications, such as R2 or e-Stewards, and the study focuses on electronics that contain batteries.
Timeline
Through September 2026: about 850 households took part in Idaho collection events.
September 2027: participating organizations must complete at least two to three events.
The Home Front
The effort sits within the Department of Energy's push to secure lithium, cobalt, and nickel for battery supply chains, which underpin electric vehicles and home battery products. It extends a first-phase New York model into states where electronics recycling is not regulated.
If you have old phones, laptops, or other battery-containing electronics, check whether your state or county offers a drop-off program before discarding them. Keep devices out of household trash, and ask your local waste authority where certified recyclers accept them.
The takeaway
Battery-containing electronics can be recovered rather than thrown away, and drop-off options may exist even where state law does not require them. Check with your local waste authority for certified recycling locations before tossing old devices.
What happens next
Organizations selected for the study must complete at least two to three collection events before September 2027.
Further reading
For related battery and charging context, see our Electric Vehicles coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Idaho Business Review.
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