Why are rechargeable and single-use battery recycling options different?
Rechargeable types contain valuable materials (like lithium, nickel, zinc) that are rare and in demand to manufacture new batteries and other products. This makes the recycling process cost-effective enough to be offered as a free service to battery consumers. By contrast, alkaline cells contain some metal, plastic and acid but not much else. Alkaline cell materials have little recovery value, are not rare, and are not defined as hazardous, so at this point, in the U.S., alkaline cells only get recycled when consumers choose to pay for the service.