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How to prepare your end-of-life batteries for recycling

📅 June 18, 2026 🏷️ Practical guide · Safety ⏱️ 6 min read

An end-of-life lithium battery is not ordinary trash: it is hazardous waste with residual energy. Managed well, it is valuable raw material; stored badly, it is a fire risk. This guide summarizes what we ask of our clients for a safe pickup and a valorization without surprises.

1. Storage: 80% of the safety

  • A covered, ventilated area away from combustible material.
  • Plastic or metal containers with spill-proof bases — never loose on the floor.
  • Swollen, dented or leaking batteries: isolate them individually (sand or vermiculite) and let us know — we pick them up with priority.
  • Do not mix chemistries: lithium on one side, lead-acid on the other.

2. Discharge and terminal protection

The silent enemy is the short circuit. Cover terminals or connectors with insulating tape, and keep small batteries in individual bags when possible. For large packs (electromobility, BESS), do not dismantle modules: we do that ourselves under controlled-discharge protocols.

Properly stored large-format battery modules
Large-format packs in storage: always whole, never dismantled at origin.

3. Labelling and records

  • Identify each container: battery type, origin and approximate weight.
  • Keep a simple per-batch record — we formalize it with certified weighing at reception.
  • If you are subject to the EPR law, that record feeds directly into your declaration.

4. Transport

Hazardous-waste transport requires an authorized carrier and declaration waybills. We coordinate pickup with certified logistics, or receive your load at the plant if you have your own authorized transport.

🔥 Golden rule: if a battery heats up, smokes or smells sweet, do not move it or submerge it: isolate the area and call us. A thermal event caught in time is an incident; ignored, it is a fire.

5. And afterwards: full traceability

From the moment your batch enters the plant it is traced: weighing, sorting, process and valorization certificate. In the client portal you can see your delivery history, the environmental impact of what you have recycled, and download your certificates.

Safety Hazardous waste Practical guide