Summary
Sendai City (仙台市) began scheduled collection of small rechargeable batteries on July 1, 2022, to prevent fire incidents during garbage collection and processing.
Key Points from the Official Notice
- According to Sendai City’s official notice, the collection covers small rechargeable batteries including lithium-ion, nickel-metal hydride, and nickel-cadmium batteries, as well as batteries for electrically assisted bicycles.
- According to the official notice, devices where the battery cannot be removed — such as smartphones, mobile batteries, heated tobacco products, and electric toothbrushes — can be disposed of as-is.
- According to the official notice, collection takes place once a week on the same day as cans, bottles, PET bottles, and used dry-cell batteries.
- According to the official notice, terminals must be insulated with tape, and items must be placed in a clear bag and put into the designated yellow collection box.
- According to the official notice, items exceeding 30 cm must be disposed of as oversized waste (粗大ごみ), and lead-acid batteries (e.g., car batteries) are not covered by this program.
What Users Should Check
- When disposing of smartphones or mobile batteries, insulate the terminals with tape, place them in a clear bag, and put them in the yellow collection box.
- Rechargeable devices exceeding 30 cm require separate disposal as oversized waste. See the official page for details.
- Drop-off at participating electronics retailers and battery collection boxes remains available as an alternative.
For the most current and accurate information, always check the official page.
Source
- Sendai City Official | Scheduled Collection of Lithium-Ion Batteries (From July 1, 2022) (Last checked: 2026-06-03)