How to Dispose of Batteries in Japan
How to Dispose of Batteries in Japan
Identify battery type: AA/AAA/C/D dry cell (乾電池), button/coin cell (ボタン電池), or rechargeable lithium-ion (リチウムイオン電池).
Dry cells: Follow your ward's hazardous-waste collection instructions or drop in a collection box at supermarkets, home centres (Cainz, Kohnan), or electronics retailers.
Button cells: Take to a dedicated button battery collection box at any major electronics retailer — do NOT mix with dry cells.
Lithium-ion batteries: Take to a JBRC-certified collection box (found at Yodobashi, BIC Camera, LABI, Nitori, and many cycling shops). Never tape over the terminals and throw away.
Rechargeable NiMH/NiCd batteries (充電式電池): Take to a JBRC collection box — the same as lithium-ion.
General Rules Across Japan
Lithium-ion batteries are the #1 cause of garbage truck fires in Japan. Never put them in any waste bag, burnable, non-burnable, or otherwise. JBRC (一般社団法人JBRCリサイクル) operates collection boxes at thousands of retailers — find your nearest at https://www.jbrc.com/
✅ Practical Tips
- Put a small piece of tape over the terminals of button batteries before disposal — they can short-circuit and ignite if they contact metal during transport.
- Yodobashi Camera and BIC Camera have JBRC boxes near their entrances — bring multiple battery types at once.
🔄 Alternatives to Throwing Away
- JBRC collection boxes (jbrc.com): Free recycling for lithium-ion and rechargeable batteries at Yodobashi, BIC Camera, LABI, Nitori, and thousands of other retailers.
- Retailer take-back programs: Cainz, Kohnan, and most home centres have dry-cell battery collection boxes near the entrance.
- Municipal hazardous waste days: Dry-cell batteries can be included in your ward's scheduled hazardous waste (有害ごみ) collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I throw batteries in the regular garbage?
Dry-cell batteries (single-use AA/AAA etc.) should follow your ward's hazardous-waste collection method or a retailer collection box — not regular burnable or non-burnable garbage. Lithium-ion and rechargeable batteries cannot go in any garbage bag at all.
Where can I recycle lithium-ion batteries?
Find your nearest JBRC collection box at jbrc.com — major electronics retailers, Nitori, and many home centres have them. The service is free of charge.