Collection and transport of lithium batteries and solar panels in Chile

We collect lithium-ion batteries and photovoltaic modules anywhere in Chile, from a box of power-tool batteries to BESS (battery energy storage) modules or pallets of panels from a solar plant: we coordinate pickup with licensed hazardous-waste transport. We tell you how to pack each batch by risk and which documents your company issues, including the SIDREP form (Chile’s national hazardous-waste declaration and tracking system), and at closing we issue an intake, traceability and valorization certificate for Chile’s Extended Producer Responsibility law (Ley REP, Law No. 20,920). We reply within 48 business hours.

What do we collect, and what don’t we?

In Chile, hazardous waste (RESPEL) is waste with at least one hazardous characteristic: toxicity, flammability, reactivity or corrosivity (Supreme Decree (DS) 148, Art. 11). End-of-life lithium batteries are handled as hazardous waste unless a characterization shows otherwise. According to Chile’s Ministry of Energy, so are end-of-life or damaged solar panels, unless they are declassified under DS 148. That is why a pickup follows hazardous-waste rules.

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Sources: DS 148/2003, Arts. 11 and 18 · Ministry of Energy, Circular Economy Roadmap for Energy 2026–2030 · RID 2025, special provision 388 · 2026-09-26

What happens to each chemistry after pickup is covered in lithium battery recycling for companies and solar panel recycling. Price and cost drivers are further down, under what a pickup costs.

How do you request a pickup?

A pickup takes seven steps. You provide the batch details and the generator’s documents; we tell you how to pack, coordinate the transport and the licensed destination, and issue the certificates.

1. Send the request with the batch detailsState the type of material, the chemistry or technology, the weight or number of units, the condition, the location and the access and loading conditions. Attach photos and the datasheet if you have them. We reply within 48 business hours.
2. Get the quote and the routeWe confirm the batch classification (UN number and special provision), the packaging that applies, the documents, a tentative date and the cost. Anything without a published price is confirmed in the quote.
3. Prepare and pack on siteSeparate damaged batteries from healthy ones, protect the terminals and pack according to the instruction given for your case. Panels go on pallets, with nothing on top.
4. Issue the generator’s documentsYour company issues the dispatch note with the class and UN number, hands over the Safety Data Sheet and the Transport Safety Sheet, and starts the SIDREP form at dispatch when the batch is hazardous waste.
5. Pickup with licensed transportWe coordinate pickup with licensed hazardous-waste transport. The carrier checks that the load matches the form, signs it and takes the full batch to the declared destination.
6. Receipt and SIDREP closingThe receiving facility, EcoBaterías SpA, takes in and weighs the batch, closes the form and confirms receipt to the generator within the following 24 hours. That closes the SIDREP form.
7. CertificatesWe issue an intake, traceability and valorization certificate for your reporting under Law No. 20,920 or, for panels, under Supreme Decree (DS) 22/2025.

What we need to quote

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Attach photos of the batch, of the battery label or of the panel nameplate. If you don’t know the chemistry, say so: we identify it from the label photos or during lithium battery testing. You can send the request through the pickup form or on WhatsApp (opens in a new tab).

How is each case packed?

Lithium batteries are dangerous goods and are packed under the UN Recommendations (Model Regulations), which Chile’s DS 298 refers to. Three concepts drive packaging: the UN number, a four-digit code that identifies the goods; the special provision (SP), a rule that adjusts the requirements for a case, such as batteries shipped for recycling or damaged batteries; and the packing instruction (P or LP), which sets the packaging. The packing group states how demanding the packaging is: group I is more demanding than group II.

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Sources: RID 2025, special provisions 376, 377 and 389 and packing instructions P908, P909, P911, LP904 and LP906 · JinkoSolar, storage instruction · JinkoSolar, installation manual V11 · QUASAR D2.2 · 2026-09-26

UN 38.3 is the UN test series that every new lithium battery type must pass; the manufacturer makes a summary of those tests available. Batteries shipped for recycling (SP 377) do not need it. Your quote states the packing instruction that applies to your batch. By air, loose lithium-ion batteries must travel at a state of charge of 30% or less, damaged batteries are forbidden and waste batteries need state approval, which is why these batches do not ship by air.

Source: IATA, Lithium Battery Guidance Document 2026 · 2026-09-26

A solar panel produces voltage under any light and only stops when covered with an opaque material. For weight planning, a current 2.28 × 1.13 m module weighs about 32 kg and a factory pallet holds 36 modules: roughly 1.15 t per pallet before packaging.

Sources: JinkoSolar, Tiger Neo 570–590 W datasheet · JinkoSolar, installation manual V11 · the per-pallet weight is our own calculation · 2026-09-26

To keep the option of using them again, avoid throwing, overstacking or dismantling batteries and panels during collection and transport. The final proposal of DS 22/2025 asks this for panels, and the draft battery decree asks it for batteries. A whole pack can have a second life and a whole panel can be reused.

Sources: Ministry of the Environment, final proposal of the batteries and electrical equipment decree (Exempt Resolution 3413/2025) · Ministry of the Environment, draft battery decree (Exempt Resolution 821/2026) · 2026-09-26

Which labels and marks go on the package?

Class 9 is the UN dangerous-goods class that lithium batteries belong to. A battery shipment carries these labels, marks and statements:

• Class 9A label. At least 100 × 100 mm: seven vertical stripes in the upper half and, in the lower half, a group of batteries and the number 9.
• UN number. “UN 3480”, “UN 3481”, “UN 3090” or “UN 3091”, depending on the battery.
• Special provision mark. “LITHIUM BATTERIES FOR RECYCLING” for batteries going to recycling (SP 377) or “DAMAGED/DEFECTIVE LITHIUM ION BATTERIES” for damaged ones (SP 376). In Chile we recommend adding the Spanish wording as well.
• Transport document statement. “TRANSPORT IN ACCORDANCE WITH SPECIAL PROVISION 376” when damaged batteries are shipped.
• Storage container label. DS 148 requires the hazard class under Chilean standard NCh 2190, the originating process, the waste code and the date the waste entered storage.

The carrier placards the vehicle: class 9 placards visible from the front, rear and sides (DS 298, Art. 4) and a sign with the name of the load, the consignee, the consignor and the carrier, with their phone numbers (Art. 20 bis). Solar panels carry no UN label; if they are hazardous waste, the pallet is labeled under DS 148.

Sources: RID 2025, 5.2.2.2 and special provisions 376 and 377 · DS 298/1994, Arts. 4 and 20 bis · DS 148/2003, Arts. 4 and 8 · 2026-09-26

Which documents travel with the pickup?

A hazardous-waste pickup complies with two regulations at once, and each one requires its own documents. The generator is your company, which produces the waste; the carrier moves it; and the receiving facility is the licensed site that takes it in.

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Sources: DS 298/1994, Arts. 30 and 31 · DS 148/2003, Arts. 27, 36, 39, 43 and 81 to 83 · 2026-09-26

SIDREP step by step

SIDREP, Chile’s national hazardous-waste declaration and tracking system, is the electronic platform of the Ministry of Health (Minsal) and the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), created under DS 148 as an alternative to the paper form. Every holder of hazardous waste is subject to the system from the moment the waste leaves the site until it reaches the destination facility (DS 148, Art. 80). Registration is requested through the RETC single window (Chile’s Pollutant Release and Transfer Register).

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1. GeneratorDeclares when handing over the load and gives the carrier the safety sheets. Under the paper format it keeps its copy for 2 years (DS 148, Art. 83).
2. CarrierChecks that the form matches the load, signs it on acceptance and is responsible for delivering the entire load to the declared destination. If the trip takes more than 48 hours, it records this on the form (DS 148, Art. 38).
3. Receiving facilitySigns on receipt and confirms receipt to the generator within the following 24 hours. The form switches from “in process” to “closed”.
4. ClosingOnce the form is closed, we issue the batch’s intake, traceability and valorization certificate.

Sources: DS 148/2003, Arts. 38 and 80 to 83 · Minsal, SIDREP · Séché Group Chile, “Declaraciones SIDREP: ¿qué es?” · 2026-09-26

If your company generates more than 12 kg a year of acutely toxic waste or more than 12 tonnes a year of other hazardous waste, it also needs a hazardous-waste management plan (Plan de Manejo) filed with the Seremi de Salud (DS 148, Art. 25). If you are comparing who to hand your waste to, see what to require from an authorized battery waste manager; the status of Ecobaterías’ permits is under compliance and permits.

Which regulations govern hazardous-waste transport in Chile?

Lithium batteries fall under two regulations: DS 148, because they are handled as hazardous waste unless a characterization shows otherwise, and DS 298, because they are dangerous goods. End-of-life panels fall under DS 148 unless declassified, but not under DS 298, because they have no UN number.

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Sources: DS 148/2003 · DS 298/1994 · Law No. 20,920 · DS 29/2024 · País Circular on DS 22/2025 · Ministry of the Environment, battery decree deadline · Traffic Law · 2026-09-26

Can I deliver the batteries myself?

DS 148 lets the generator itself, if it is exempt from a management plan, move up to 2 tonnes of hazardous waste (or 6 kg of acutely toxic waste) without a transport health permit (Art. 42). That exemption does not release it from DS 298: the load is still dangerous goods and that regulation sets no minimum quantities, so even a pickup truck with a few waste batteries must meet the 15-year vehicle age limit, the tachograph, the placards and the sign. Rental vehicles and passenger transport are not allowed either (Traffic Law, Art. 66). For just a few batteries, see where to recycle lithium batteries in Chile and how to prepare them for recycling.

Hazardous-waste pickup of batteries and panels across Chile’s regions

We serve all of Chile from Santiago and coordinate pickup with licensed hazardous-waste transport in every region. A carrier’s health permit is valid nationwide (DS 148, Art. 36), and the form travels with the batch from the moment it leaves your site until it reaches the destination.

For mining sites, solar plants and BESS installations in Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Atacama and Coquimbo we offer mobile on-site testing: we grade the batch where it sits and only what has a defined destination travels. Testing covers batteries (lithium battery testing) and panels (solar panel testing).

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The time shown is the reply to your request: we reply within 48 business hours. The pickup date and cost are confirmed in the quote.

More than 4,000 electric buses run in Santiago (February 2026). For their packs, see electric bus batteries; for storage systems, end-of-life BESS; and for solar plants replacing modules, solar plant repowering.

Source: Reporte Minero, February 2026 · 2026-09-26

What should you do with a damaged battery while it waits for pickup?

A damaged lithium battery can go into thermal runaway: a chain reaction in which the cell heats itself and may vent gases or catch fire. Separate it and declare it as damaged if it shows any of these signs: swelling or deformation, odor, smoke or excessive heat, discoloration or corrosion, leaks, damaged cables, unusual noises, or if it cannot be diagnosed.

While you wait for pickup

• Tape the terminals with non-conductive tape and bag each damaged battery separately.
• Keep it in a plastic, non-metal container with sand, cat litter or vermiculite.
• Leave it under a roof and dry, away from combustible material and heat sources, in an area closed to the public and apart from healthy batteries and other chemistries.
• Do not puncture or dismantle it.

If a battery heats up, smokes or catches fire

• Move away and isolate the area: the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommends keeping a vehicle with a damaged battery at least 50 feet (15 m) from structures and combustibles.
• Call the fire department (132 in Chile) and tell them lithium batteries are involved.
• Cool it with plenty of water: in the electric car fires the NTSB investigated, crews used from about 300 gallons to more than 20,000 gallons of water. An ABC extinguisher does not stop thermal runaway.
• Keep watching the battery afterward: it can reignite hours or days later; in one case documented by the NTSB, five days later.

These steps do not replace your company’s contingency plan or the fire department’s instructions.

Sources: US EPA, Battery Collection Tip Sheet · RID 2025, special provision 376 · NTSB, Safety Report SR-20/01 · Feng et al., Energy Storage Materials, 2018 · 2026-09-26

What does a pickup cost?

Intake of lithium-ion batteries for recycling has a published price: 22 UF per tonne plus VAT (19%) (UF is Chile’s inflation-indexed unit of account). The pickup cost depends on these drivers and is confirmed in the quote:

• Weight and volume of the batch, and number of pallets or packages.
• Distance from your location and access to the loading point.
• Condition: a damaged battery requires P908 or P911 packaging.
• Packaging: whether the batch is already packed under the applicable instruction.
• Loading equipment on site, such as a forklift and crew.
• Type of load: hazardous waste, with licensed transport and SIDREP, or general freight, such as undamaged panels going to reuse.

What happens to the material after pickup?

Every batch is graded before its route is decided. What still holds value is repaired, refurbished or reused; what does not goes to recycling with a certificate.

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All services are listed under services for lithium batteries and solar panels. Technical definitions are in the glossary, and more answers in the FAQ.

Frequently asked questions

Who can collect hazardous waste in Chile, and which companies are authorized?

Only people or companies holding a health permit from the Seremi de Salud (Chile’s regional health authority) where they are domiciled may carry hazardous waste on streets and roads, and that permit is valid nationwide (DS 148, Art. 36). The generator must hand its waste only to licensed transport and facilities (Art. 27). Ask for the health permit number of the carrier and of the receiving facility and check that both appear in SIDREP. Ecobaterías coordinates pickup with licensed hazardous-waste transport.

Which regulations govern hazardous-waste transport in Chile?

Two regulations at once. DS 148/2003 of the Ministry of Health covers the hazardous waste: the carrier’s health permit, the declaration document or SIDREP form, and a licensed destination. DS 298/1994 of the Ministry of Transport covers the dangerous goods: classification and placards under the UN Recommendations, a dispatch note with class and UN number, the Safety Data Sheet in the cab and a vehicle 15 years old or newer. Lithium batteries fall under both.

Which documents must travel with a hazardous-waste shipment?

The Declaration Document, on paper or in SIDREP, and the Hazardous Waste Transport Safety Sheets: without them the waste cannot be moved (DS 148, Arts. 39 and 81). Because the load is also dangerous goods, it also carries the dispatch note or invoice with the class and UN number of each product, and the Safety Data Sheet in the cab (DS 298, Art. 30).

What is SIDREP?

SIDREP is Chile’s national hazardous-waste declaration and tracking system: the electronic platform of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of the Environment, created under DS 148, where every shipment is declared. Registration goes through the RETC single window. The generator declares when handing over the load, the carrier when accepting it and the receiving facility when taking it in; at that point the form switches from “in process” to “closed”.

How are lithium batteries transported, and what does UN 3480 mean?

UN 3480 is the UN number for loose lithium-ion batteries: cells, modules and packs. If they are contained in or packed with equipment, the number is UN 3481; lithium-metal batteries are UN 3090 and UN 3091. All are class 9. Batteries going to recycling ship under special provision 377 and packing instruction P909, without the UN 38.3 test summary, marked “LITHIUM BATTERIES FOR RECYCLING”.

What is class 9, and which label do lithium batteries carry?

Class 9 is the UN dangerous-goods class that lithium batteries belong to. Their packages carry the 9A label: at least 100 × 100 mm, with seven vertical stripes in the upper half and a group of batteries with the number 9 in the lower half. In Chile it is required by DS 298, which since 2022 refers to the UN Recommendations for classification and labeling.

How do you pack a damaged or swollen lithium battery?

It ships as damaged or defective, under special provision 376 and packing instruction P908 (LP904 for a single large battery): each battery in its own inner packaging, surrounded by non-combustible, non-conductive thermal insulation, with absorbent if it leaks, and only one per outer packaging above 30 kg. If it is hot, smoking or liable to react, P911 or LP906 applies. It cannot travel by air.

Do you issue a collection or final-disposal certificate?

Yes. A hazardous-waste pickup closes with three records: the SIDREP form closed by the receiving facility, which must confirm receipt to the generator within 24 hours (DS 148, Art. 83); the intake certificate with the batch weight; and the traceability and valorization certificate for your reporting under Law No. 20,920 or, for panels, under DS 22/2025.

How long can hazardous waste be stored?

Six months at most, extendable once for the same period with a technical report to the health authority (DS 148, Art. 31). The storage area needs an impermeable floor, a 1.80 m perimeter fence, a roof, spill containment and signage, and reactive or flammable waste must sit at least 15 m from the property lines (Arts. 33 and 35). Schedule the pickup before the deadline.

Do you collect batteries and panels outside Santiago?

Yes, anywhere in Chile. Ecobaterías coordinates pickup with licensed hazardous-waste transport from every region. In Tarapacá, Antofagasta, Atacama and Coquimbo it also offers mobile on-site testing: the batch is graded at the mine site or plant and only what has a defined destination travels. We reply within 48 business hours; the pickup date and cost are confirmed in the quote.

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