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Lithium Ion Battery Recycling Event
July 02, 2025
It is not easy to recycle lithium-ion batteries. They contain valuable materials, the recycling process is complex, requires specialized facilities, and can be costly.
However, First United Methodist Church Neenah Menasha Green will be recycling lithium ion batteries Saturday, June 21 from 8 AM – noon at the Neenah Farmers Market in Shattuck Park with Redwood Materials. There is no cost for this service.
You are invited to visit them at the Neenah Farmers Market and bring your lithium-ion batteries and rechargeable devices including:
- Laptops*
- smartphones *
- tablets *
- electric toothbrushes
- power tool batteries
- rechargeable vacuum batteries
- wireless headphones
- and any other lithium-ion battery powered devices
* Reset these devices to protect your data. Instructions can easily be found on the internet.
They will take lithium-ion batteries separately or as part of the device they are in. If the whole device, Redwood will remove the batteries and the rest of the device goes to secondary recyclers.
Redwood Materials states:
- Critical minerals (e.g. lithium, cobalt) have the remarkable ability to be recycled indefinitely.
- The raw critical minerals supply chain can be 50,000+ miles. Recycling greatly reduces that as well as dependence on foreign suppliers.
- Consumers keep their devices on average for 3 years.
- Less than 5% of lithium-ion containing devices are recycled.
- Americans throw out over 150 million phones every year.
- To give that last number some perspective, 166 recycled Apple iPhones provide enough cobalt for the top selling US electric vehicles.
- The largest source of lithium and cobalt are in the junk drawers of America!
Please do not bring the following types of batteries:
- alkaline (can be placed in trash)
- Nicad (recycle at Winnebago or Tri County)
- lead acid (take to places that sell them)
- damaged or defective (recycle at Tri County)
For more information for where to dispose of items in Fond du Lac County, visit: https://www.fdl.wi.gov/public-works/where-to-dispose-of/
For more info or questions about the Neenah recycling event contact jdtribbey@gmail.com.
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Cosmology & Creation