What happens to the batteries in your junk drawer?
How to safely dispose of batteries, lightbulbs, and e-waste in Seattle and beyond.
Everyone has “that drawer” where they toss dead batteries, lightbulbs, and old electronics into to deal with later. Sitting there forgotten, these items take up space, can begin to leak chemicals, and miss the chance to be reused or properly recycled. Most of these everyday items don’t belong in your regular trash, and understanding the guidelines for proper waste disposal makes a bigger environmental impact than you might realize.
After having collected dozens of spent batteries and lightbulbs from my own home and my clients’ homes, it was time for me to take my first trip to the transfer station. A transfer station is a local facility where waste is dropped off, sorted, and then transported to its final disposal site. Having never been there before, I was admittedly nervous. Luckily, it was much easier than I had built it up to be in my head and I’m here to share what I learned in the hopes it helps demystify household waste disposal for you as well.
At the entrance of the North Seattle Transfer Station, signs pointed me to an attendant who asked what I had with me to recycle. He informed me that they don’t accept light bulbs, but many lightbulbs can be thrown into the trash, taking care to note that the spiral lightbulbs were an exception to this. Making a mental note to look into this when I got home, I listened as the attendant clarified how it works. Pulling up beside a trio of barrels labeled “alkaline”, “lithium”, and “rechargeable”, I got to work sorting my batteries accordingly. Sorting your batteries prior to arriving will make your stop quick and simple. Some batteries were labeled, while others were not. For those that weren’t, I spent a few minutes searching online via the information given on the battery. I find Google Lens to be greatly helpful when looking for more information on specific items.
Relieved to have finally rid myself of possibly a hundred dead batteries, I drove away with the lightbulbs in tow. When I got home I thoroughly searched the internet to understand how to properly dispose of various lightbulbs. Here’s what I found.
Incandescent and halogen bulbs
Safe to put in trash if wrapped up and sealed to protect workers from injury. I chose to wrap mine in a double paper bag, folding the top over several times and sealing it with packing tape.
Fluorescent bulbs and tubes
Contain mercury and should never go into trash. Dispose of at a hazardous waste facility.
LED bulbs
Contain a circuit board, making them best suited for electronic recycling. If recycling isn’t available, they are okay to put into the trash if properly wrapped and sealed.
Electronic Recycling
Electronic recycling is fairly new to me, and I had to do some more research on this topic as well. You have the standard electronics like computers, tv’s, cameras, printers. But I was surprised to learn of the range of items included in that category. Kitchen electronics such as coffee machines, blenders, and electronic water kettles. Personal care items such as hair dryers, curling irons and electric toothbrushes. Comfort items like fans and space heaters. Basically, if it plugs into a wall, runs on batteries, or has a circuit board, it can probably be e-recycled. In addition to public facilities, some local donation centers, like Goodwill, also offer e-recycling drop-offs.
The King County Hazardous Household Waste Facility is another great local resource for safely disposing of many items, including batteries! During my first visit, I was surprised at how easy it was to pull up and drop off items, getting in and out in under 2 minutes. I’ve recycled car coolant, old oil based paint, shop rags stained with chemicals, amongst other items here. There are many signs signaling you to each step of the process and an attendant on duty to answer your questions. Make sure to look up a list of accepted and not accepted items on each location's website as well as their operating hours before visiting.
From Overwhelmed to Organized
I understand how overwhelming it can feel to navigate the “waste landscape”. Questions like can I throw light bulbs in the trash? or what do I do with these dead batteries? are ones I’ve asked myself more than once. After visiting the North Seattle Transfer Station and the King County Hazardous Household Waste Facility, I now have a much clearer understanding of how to properly dispose of many items, and my junk drawer is now organized with separate bags for each type of battery. The next time I'm ready to dispose of this collection of dead batteries, I’ll be able to do it with ease.
What once felt like guesswork now feels manageable. Having simple, reliable home organization systems in place makes it easier to handle these everyday decisions safely, responsibly, and with confidence. These small actions add up, keeping harmful chemicals out of our environment, protecting public health, and conserving the resources we all depend on.
Seattle and King County Household Waste Disposal Resources
ELECTRONICS RECYCLING
